Neverland
by allechant
Summary: but it's not a place where children never grow old. it's a place of death and suffering. and you, of all possible people, have been caught in its deadly, beautiful web of lies. Cover art credits to Zhane17.
1. Chapter 1

There was this legend about Peter Pan. Peter Pan and the land of Neverland, the place where little children never grew up. A land of magic and adventure, of mermaids and pirates and Red Indians.

An amazing land where time stopped…where people were forgotten…where the dead came to rest, their bones creaking, their jaws rattling, hollow eye sockets staring out at a lost, distant dream. For who would think about the dead in a land where no one aged? _Yet the reason why no one ages is because everyone is dead._ It was a long-kept secret of Neverland, and Peter Pan was the only one who knew this secret, and he felt the burden of keeping it weigh him down, day by day.

It was easy to keep up the pretence. Who wouldn't _want_ to come to Neverland? Mortals made the world sound like a dream, a dreamland specially crafted for little children. And little children, despite being the most astute out of all humans, were also the most naïve and the most gullible. It was easy to convince them to follow the nice flying stranger, follow him to a world which promised fantasy and adventure, a break from mundane lessons and chores and mortal hardships. It was so simple that it was almost pathetic – it was like leading blindfolded lambs to the butcher's knife.

He sometimes wondered if he could escape. If he could run away from tricking children, and lead a peaceful life away from Neverland, away from the dark overlords who ruled the place. Neverland – it was a play with words, a tragic, cruel pun – _Never Land_ , don't ever come near the place. But most people simply thought of it as the land where people never grew older, never suffered hardship.

" _Kagamine Len_ ," a darkly familiar voice slithered through his mind, and he flinched, the coldness of the voice wrapping around him tightly like a cobra's kiss. " _Why are you tarrying still in Neverland? Do your job – find a new child. Your masters and I grow…unsettled,_ " it sounded almost placid, but he could sense the undertone of menace rippling through its words. He shuddered, drawing the old, tattered cloak he wore a little bit tighter around his body, before hurrying on his way. He worried.

He wondered how patient his masters were. He wondered whether they would ever turn on their word and take away his Lost Boys, the only ties he had left to his humanity. They were all he had left in this barren dystopia. They had promised – his masters had promised – that, as long as he was their good little pawn and did what they commanded, they would leave him and his Lost Boys alone. But how much faith could one place in demons? What else could his masters _be_ other than demons?

He knew not what they were, and cared little to find out. All he knew was that they were all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful, at least while in this realm. Their influence could not reach out to Earth. And that was where _he_ came in. Him, Kagamine Len, their little child-servant – though he was hardly a child, in both appearance and wearied mentality – who flew almost nightly to Earth and brought back a child for their sustenance. He did not know what his masters did with each child, and he did not want to know. All he knew was, whoever entered Neverland would never leave again.

"Len," a voice called out as he hurried down the well-trodden old path, the shade of the gnarled old trees blocking the light of the moon. In Neverland, the nights were long and the days were short, and even when the sun shone through the twisted treetops the light was pale and watery, weak. It was a bleak place to live in, a cold and cruel land. He wished he could run away and not be tethered down to this place the way he was now. His Lost Boys were both his hope and his imprisonment.

He turned to face the voice, knowing who it was who had called for him. "Yes, Rei?" he asked, voice low, not quite daring to face the boy – whenever he was on a trip back to Earth, he never quite dared to look his Lost Boys in the eye, knowing that what he was doing to their brethren would be easily condemned by them. They would condemn him for his actions, for his selfishness. And he could not afford to be despised by them. He knew that he had little else left to live for.

"Are you going back to Earth?" the boy asked, picking his way through the dark foliage, pale hands spidery against the black leaves. He turned to face him fully now, leaving his hood up – he didn't want the boy to be able to see his eyes, because he was the perfect liar…until you saw his eyes. He had shifty eyes, they betrayed him whenever he tried to give utterance to a falsehood.

"Yes, I am. I haven't gone back in a while, I miss the place," the lie slipped out of his mouth as smoothly and easily as oil. The lie made him _feel_ the same way oil would – clogged and weighed down, choking to death. "Do you have something you want me to do while on Earth?"

"Don't we always?" the boy's lips quirked up into a bitter sort of smile. "Gumo…wants you to have this," Rei reached out, holding a white envelope that, until that very moment, he had failed to notice in the darkness of the forest. "He misses his parents. He hopes that maybe one day his mother will write a reply. We all told him it's futile to hope, they're probably dead," Rei shrugged, indifferent, "but he carries on hoping. I honestly think that Gumo is the only reason any of us continue hoping."

Gingerly, he reached out, taking hold of the outstretched letter. He studied the envelope carefully, looking at the neat, tidy handwriting – Gumo's handwriting – and seeing how he had meticulously written down his old address, the name of his mother, how he had sealed the letter as carefully as he possibly could. He didn't know how to react other than to look back at Rei, who once again shrugged in that same, indifferent manner, before he turned around and started picking his way back through the trees. He sighed, then carefully put the letter away in the depths of his cloak.

He would not be delivering the letter on Gumo's behalf, though he knew that was the boy's greatest, deepest wish. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be reunited with his parents – with his mother, specifically, for he knew Gumo had never been very close to his father. When Gumo was taken to Neverland, his mother was terribly sick and his father was, as always, too busy to pay any attention to his son. In a fit of desperation, Gumo agreed to leave with the cheerful, persuasive, _charming_ stranger who had shown up outside his bedroom window…to a land from which no one ever returned. Surprisingly, Gumo did not hate him, but he despised being trapped here against his will.

Then again, who didn't hate being stuck here? It was a bleak landscape, a murky future. There was nothing for them here other than death and misery. Oh, it certainly didn't start out that way. In the beginning, Neverland would give up its bounty – its promises of fun and eternal adventure, the place where children could forget all their problems, no matter how trivial and insignificant their problems might appear to be in the eyes of adults. But slowly, eventually, the fun and adventure… _changed_.

Children were the most astute out of all humans. They could see the most – they were, in their innocence and unknowingness, the closest to their true natures. They, out of all humans, were the least trapped in social prisons, the least cultivated in social norms. They listened to nothing but their own instincts, and after some time in Neverland, that was what their instincts whispered to them – that there was something dreadfully, terribly _wrong_ with this place. That it wasn't truly the Paradise they had envisioned. That true Paradise had always been back on Earth, not in this… _façade_.

And that was when the illusion of never-ending, eternal joy faded, giving way to the truth of what Neverland was. It was Hell. It was the place bad children were sent to, naughty, unappreciative children. Those who didn't appreciate their lives on Earth. Only those who were tempted would agree to abandon their world – and those who were tempted were _sinners_. Neverland was an initial Eden, but it eventually fragmented into Hell – and he, Kagamine Len, was the serpent who tempted them into falling from grace. It was a role he despised, but a role that he was stuck in as surely as the children were stuck in Neverland. Try as he might, there was no way for him to leave it behind.

The only thing from the mortal Neverland story that held true was immortality, for those who were fortunate – _or perhaps unfortunate_ – enough to escape the hunger of the masters were cursed with eternal youth. Youth, so they would remember. And eternal, so they would remember their regret and misery for all of time. That was what he was regretting. That was what all the Lost Boys were regretting. It was what tied them together, him and his band of bitter adults trapped in the bodies of children – the sharp, metallic taste of _regret_ that lingered in their mouths no matter how much water they drank, no matter how sweet the food they tasted – it would never go away.

Perhaps child was an inaccurate term to describe the Lost Boys. Boys they might be called, but boys they were far from – Neverland did permit a slow type of ageing, and he suspected that the masters allowed this just to enjoy seeing them writhe in the confusion brought by hormonal changes in their bodies. As if the regrets of their pasts were not enough to haunt them. Now they were stuck as teenagers, bordering on adults – he wasn't sure what was their exact age but from appearances he would place all of them in the range between eighteen to twenty – and it seemed that they would stay this way forever, if the last fifty years were not indication enough of that.

The worst part was the desire, the _animalistic_ urge to copulate, and not having any female body in the vicinity – other than the Red Indians, whom only Piko was ever desperate enough to go to for he had always been the least capable of restraining his banal urges. The women of the Indian tribes were rough and violent, treating their men like their dogs, and Piko always returned from such encounters for the worse. When he returned, he and the other Lost Boys would just quietly bathe and bandage his wounds. They would not berate him – how could they, when they understood his needs perfectly, and could feel his bitter, poisonous desperation wafting off him in waves?

"Oh, and Len, before I forget," he whipped around, rudely jolted out of his musings, and there stood the black haired boy again, sharp golden eyes piercing through the darkness right at him, "we were wondering if you would…bring another one to join us," something like pain flitted across his face. "We know that it is a…terrible request to ask of you, to ask of _anyone_ , but we're…growing needy. We're lonely. Desperate. And you are all we have left to care for us, though we should no longer need to be cared for. If you can…bring a girl," his voice faded into a whisper. "Bring a girl our age – we won't mishandle her," he said quickly, in case his words were taken the wrong way. "Just as a companion. Piko specially requested for that. You know he was beat up pretty bad last night."

He pursed his lips. "Kagene Rei," he started, voice low as always, "you know what it's like to be stuck here and you would ask that I send another person, someone _perfectly innocent_ , to this hellhole? Once she comes in, she will not be able to leave. Is that really something you want on your conscience, Rei? All of you? Will you take responsibility if she's not strong enough to survive here, if she gives in to the manic depression all of us fight everyday – will you take care of her if she goes insane and tries to kill all of us? Are you all ready to face the consequences of damning another?"

There was silence for a while as Rei stared at him, clearly thinking over his words. The boy was a great many years younger than him – he was by far the oldest of their group, maybe five or six hundred years old, he was not sure anymore – but Rei was the oldest of the four Lost Boys. Kagene Rei was three hundred, give or take a few decades, and he took the role of their leader when he was not around. Being the oldest, Rei was seen as the most mature out of all of them, and when it came to group decisions, Rei was always the one communicating the Lost Boys' combined desires to him.

Then those golden eyes hardened, narrowing into slits – challenging, defiant, a sign of emotion he had not seen in a while. "Bring her to us," he said, voice flat. He stared back at the dark haired boy, rightly questioning his decision. "Do it," Rei repeated, still in that same flat tone of voice. "We'll take care of her and any of the possible consequences that come with her arrival. If she goes mad, we will handle it too. Nero's always been good with the lunatics. And the other consequences you're talking about, that I know you're talking about…" Rei let out a bitter laugh. "We're already in Hell, Len. I don't think anything worse can happen to us now. We can't die anyway. At most we'll live with the eternal guilt of bringing a girl here to her doom – but is eternal guilt really new to any of us?"

He knew that Rei would not be swayed on his decision, so he let out a sigh and nodded his head, stepping over to the dark haired boy and quickly, firmly shaking his outstretched hand – a gesture of promise, though he knew that this was a promise he would regret making. Rei smiled – a small, half-hearted kind of smile, before wishing him good luck on his trip back and leaving the area, this time for good. He remained in the little clearing for a while, thinking about what he had done.

What _had_ he done? What had he done that was so new anyway? The process of obtaining a new Lost Child was not up to him to decide. There was…something in lost children, something that the masters deemed unworthy of consumption, or whatever it was they did to the disillusioned children of Neverland. Something in the four boys who were still by his side that the masters did not want to take, and that was the only reason why they were still alive. He did not know what the masters were looking out for, and he knew that they would not tell him what for fear that he would continue bringing the same kind of child to Neverland and thus rob them of their obscene pleasures.

The Lost Boys were unaware of this presence of a greater entity in Neverland. They were under the impression that he was the mightiest person in this place, the one who governed whether they lived or died – metaphorically of course, given that they couldn't actually die – and that he was the one who decided who would join them as Lost Children, and who would not. He did not want to shatter their beliefs. It was better that they believed he was mighty. He didn't want them to worry over another presence in Neverland, greater than him – day-to-day survival was difficult enough for them, there was no need for them to have to fret over the presence of beings there weren't even really…there. The masters were there in voice, but he had never really seen their physical shapes before, always just hearing their voices in his head. He wondered if they were even real, sometimes.

Sometimes, he wondered whether he had just driven himself insane and was following the command of nothing other than mere voices in his head. But then he would think back to the cold, slithery, almost _reptilian_ voice that hissed through his head whenever he was needed to follow an order, and he knew that there was absolutely no way he could have imagined a voice like that.

It was time to leave. He had delayed for long enough here. If he didn't leave soon, if he displeased the dark, sadistic masters of Neverland, they would punish him – with pain, with visions, with what he thought were almost prophecies of the future. He didn't want to know the future, didn't want to be burdened with such a tragedy. What could the future be other than an elaborate tragedy? It was bad enough that he had such a gift – the gift of seeing into the future. He didn't want it. It was the masters who suppressed his gift, his _curse_ for him, and they could lift their lock as and when they wanted. The last time they made him _see_ , he had lain in a dark, damp cave for five days and four nights, huddled up and rocking back and forth, shrieking in agony from the pain of knowledge.

It was best to be a dumb beast. It was best to know nothing and just get through life, one day at a time. Mortals might think that it was best to know things, to have agency and free will, but when one was immortal – when one lived in an empty, barren Paradise – it was best not to question anything. It was best to have nothing but movement. Emotions were a drain, knowledge was a burden. Here, they were children. They returned to the state of the womb, not knowing, not seeing, not feeling, not _being_. It was what kept the masters happy. It was what kept them all sane.

* * *

It had been a while since he returned to Earth. A week or two, maybe. It was little wonder that his masters were starting to get impatient. But he hadn't wanted to come back to this place.

It was a place of immense difference – it was so different from the dismal landscape of Neverland that every time he came, and every time he left, his heart would ache in longing for the scenes he left behind. It was made all the worse by the knowledge that what was welcoming him was cold and desolate. Neverland had nothing in it. It was an empty husk, a shell of what it could have been.

Honestly, no one knew where the masters came from. It had been this way for as long as he could remember. Perhaps there was a time, long, long ago in the past, when he had first drifted onto the shores of this forsaken land as a little boy, where Neverland _was_ indeed a land of fun and laughter. He could not remember those days. But if those days were there, then they were long gone. No laughter rang in Neverland anymore – no laughter other than those of the masters, and they only laughed when they intended to inflict pain and misery on another. He sighed and shook his head.

No, better not to think about such matters. He would make the most out of his time here while he could – better than moping over what he could not change. The state of his home, not that he really thought of that place as his home anymore, was unsalvageable. He still had his responsibilities towards his Lost Boys to fulfil though, and between finding a new child for the masters and giving the Lost Boys the new companion they so desired, he had enough on his plate to keep him from moping or thinking of…depressing thoughts. That was what he liked to call them, the thoughts that came to him when he was at his most emotional and drained all the life and soul out of him.

He circled the area, wondering who he ought to call on. Children, children…there were plenty in this particular suburb. He could see them all over the place, running around in perfectly manicured lawns or playing with toys in their perfect little sandboxes or out running around with their pet dog, the perfect picture of perfect family bliss. And oh, how he hated all of it, how he hated how happy they were in comparison to him. But he had nothing else against children other than his own bitterness. He resolved to move on – these were not the children he sought. They were too happy, their lives too sheltered and cocooned by parental adoration to consider leaving their homes for good.

It was always the broken families which bore the best results. It wouldn't seem like the best place to find such a child, he knew, in this cosy little suburb which looked like it was straight out of some TV commercial – he was aware of what such things were, he had spent enough time in the human world to at least pick up on that – but he also knew from experience that it was the most perfect facades which hid the darkest secrets. Someone, somewhere, in this nondescript version of mortal comforts, was unhappy with her life, and he would find that person and convince them to desire a change. To lead a life, away from rules, away from boundaries, free to do whatever she pleased.

He knew perfectly well that the most flawless things hid the dirtiest secrets. He was a walking example of that. He was blessed, if one had the humour to use such a word with regards to the damned like him, with ethereally good looks. He was the perfect kind of boy, someone most parents would love to have as their son-in-law. The golden boy, the star, the shining leader of a future generation. But what did it hide? His soul was rotting, if he even had any soul left. If you stared hard at him, he would shimmer in and out of existence, neither human nor monster, but something in between. It was the sort of in between that was the stuff of nightmares, neither here nor there.

Still, he continued circling the neighbourhood. Still, he continued his search. He was almost on the verge of giving up – he had never before given up on a particular area before – when he heard, two houses down from where he was currently standing and watching, waiting for something drastic to happen, the sound of screaming. And then there was the sound of something shattering. It sounded like glass, like whoever it was who was screaming had just taken a glass and dashed it to bits at their feet. He perked up, interested – conflict was good. Conflict was an excellent persuader. As long as the person was stuck in the throes of their argument, passionate and unable to think rationally, he could work his dark magic. He was a charmer of the worst sort, a master manipulator and liar.

He reached the house, curious and eager. No one had given him any strange looks despite all the time he spent lurking in the suburbs – he had removed his tattered cloak, and without it he looked just like any other teenage boy, curious and bored but _oh so handsome_. No one would even begin to think that he was anyone suspicious, that he wasn't part of this community. He stuck his hands in his pockets and whistled a tuneless tune as an elderly man whisked past him on a bicycle, busily steering with one hand while holding on to a newspaper in the other. The elderly man shot him a look as he went past him, but said nothing and continued on his way. He smiled a little, and turned away from the pavement, stepping delicately onto the mown grass of the front yard. He had to see better first.

The house, if one were to judge by mere outward appearances, was no different from the rest of the houses down this street, from the freshly mown lawn to the flowers planted beneath the window to the polished wooden door that beckoned, welcoming all guests into the house. But if he stopped – if he just stopped for a while and _listened_ , he could hear the conspicuous difference. It was the sound of tension. A sound, a feeling almost, of tension within the household – between two people? He had to find out more. The tension drew him in, like a leech to a fresh, warm blood source. He had to know more, almost couldn't prevent himself from stealthily creeping across to the window.

He glanced into the window. No one had noticed him yet. Inside, he could see a living room. It looked fairly large and comfortable – there was a long couch in the middle of the room, and a flat-screen TV situated right in front of that. A coffee table, long and low and a highly polished dark wood, lay between the TV and the couch. There were two clocks placed on either side of the wall above the TV, each one showing a different time, for some unknown reason. The one on the left was the one showing the correct time, he noticed. He looked to see other parts of the room.

There appeared to be an open doorway from the living room that led into the kitchen. In the kitchen, from what he could see, there was a woman bustling around inside with a broom. Most likely cleaning up whatever had been broken in that crash earlier, he deduced. He looked away from the kitchen – there were stairs leading up from the kitchen to the next floor, where he was certain all the bedrooms were. Since there didn't appear to be anyone else other than the woman on the ground floor, he supposed that the antagonist was most likely hiding in their room upstairs.

He snuck around to the back of the house, away from the prying eyes of neighbours – it was the middle of the day and there were plenty of people around, it would be best not to attract too much attention. He eyed the windows at the back of the house – each window was not too far from the one below it, and there was a balcony on the next floor right above one window. He could easily jump up on the lower ledge and haul himself up to the next floor, then settle safely down on the balcony and see what's inside. Or he could always just fly up. He _was_ Peter Pan, after all…

The only reason why he was reluctant to make use of his flight was because, unlike the original tale where there was _faith, trust and pixie dust_ , the only way he could fly was if he cut down on other vital bodily functions. Like breathing. He could only fly because the masters had given him such power, and the reason why _him_ was because he was…special. He could _see_ , see into the future, and that was a gift his masters deemed valuable, even if he did not use it. And that specialness gave him the mental strength he needed to accept flight – something so foreign and strange to human beings.

When he flew, he became birdlike – faster breaths because his lungs couldn't work at full capacity, faster heartbeat, everything was faster. The adrenaline would flow through his veins, powering him enough to will his weight through the air, but at the same time impeding rational thought. He only flew when he had to, from Neverland to Earth – otherwise, he preferred to keep flying to a minimum. After all, he was human. And humans did not fly, especially not at the risk of shortening their own lifespan. He was aware of the dangers of the gift his masters had bestowed upon him.

 _No, I won't fly this time. There's another way to get up there – let's use that method instead._ So he clambered his way up onto the ledge, bracing himself as he let his fingers wrap around the edge of the balcony floor. He was strong, but it had been a while since he exerted himself physically. There was no need for physical stress in Neverland – it was rather pointless to flee from anything when none of them could die. He and the Lost Boys all knew they couldn't die, because they had tried before and it had never worked – no matter what they did, they woke up eventually, in pain but still alive.

After silently counting to three, he pulled himself up, arm muscles working to lift him to the edge. Then he swung himself onto the balcony, careful to make as little noise as possible, and peered inside – the room windows were covered by thin curtains, but the latch was unlocked and he could open the windows slightly inwards, parting the flowery embroidered drapes blocking his view.

His first realisation was that this was the room of a girl. There was little inside the room; it was surprisingly devoid of personal belongings, having nothing but a dresser, a bed, a wardrobe and a desk near the window he was at. There was a laptop on the desk, but it was switched off. His gaze shifted to the bed, which was one of the first things he had noticed for the sheer size of it in comparison to the rest of the room – there was someone sitting there, he realised abruptly, and she had yet to see him. She had to be the person who was screaming at the woman downstairs earlier. He doubted that the woman, who looked middle-aged, would scream in such a high-pitched way.

The girl's shoulders were shaking. Perhaps she was crying. He wouldn't know since she wasn't facing him. Her hair was long, falling a little way past her hips and sprawling out over the white of her bedsheet. It was a very unique colour, something like teal – greenish with blue undertones. He wondered if her hair had been dyed or if it was naturally that colour. One of the Lost Boys, Gumo, was born with green hair after all, so it was perfectly plausible for another person to have a strange hair colour from birth. He wondered what she looked like, since he couldn't see her face.

Whatever she was feeling, she was probably emotionally vulnerable. Anyone would be after yelling at their mother, if he was right in assuming that the woman downstairs was her mother. And he worked best when the person he was targeting then was emotionally weakened. Now was the perfect time to slip in, slip into her room and her heart and mind and convince her to abandon everything – to drop everything and run away on a romantic adventure with a handsome stranger.

He knocked on the window, a smart little rap, and she stiffened – he saw her shoulders go rigid in surprise – and slowly, she turned around. He took in her face, with its pale, elfin features and sharp chin, prominent cheekbones for she was slightly too skinny to be really healthy, the wide, steely emerald eyes that looked slightly too big for her thin face, and noted that she was pretty. Her eyes, already big, widened in absolute shock at the sight of him. He had seen that. It was perfectly normal.

What was not normal was that she would immediately run over to the window, locking it tight and drawing the curtains, before beginning to scream her lungs out. Now that wasn't normal at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course, he did the first thing that came to mind after that – he turned around, leapt lightly off the balcony, and immediately ran around back to the front of the house. Behind him, the girl continued screaming, and he ran to peer into the window that showed the living room and kitchen.

He had not sustained any injuries from jumping off the balcony to the ground. Back in Neverland, he had leapt far further distances. He and all the Lost Boys had. It was necessary to be able to jump so far when they had to hunt their own prey. Using weapons to hunt would have injured some part of the few, precious animals they had in the forest, and they couldn't afford to have any part of their meat hurt or rendered inedible. Their practice was to hunt and strangle their prey with their bare hands. One blessing they had was that in Neverland, they, as humans, were the deadliest predators.

The woman he had spotted earlier in the kitchen was still there, listening to the girl upstairs scream. From where Len stood, he could see this house's neighbours, all opening their curtains and looking out – some of them saw him in front of the house and stared at him for a while, but eventually looked away, having decided that he wasn't a threat of any sort. After a while, all the neighbours went back to doing their own thing, and he wondered if this was a common disturbance, if the girl upstairs was so easily unsettled, so volatile in her emotions. He continued watching the woman inside the house, wondering whether she would do anything to stop her daughter's screaming.

The woman finally left the kitchen, her broom still in hand. Now that she was in the living room, Len could get a better view of her. He made sure that he was standing near the pavement so that the woman would think he was just a passer-by, if she happened to look out. It was fine for him to stand at such a distance since he had better eyesight than most people, and could easily discern what was going on in the house despite where he stood. The woman was slender, reminding him of the girl upstairs though the girl was actually much, much skinnier, and she looked tired. There were dark circles beneath her green eyes, almost making it look like she was wearing dark eyeshadow.

He took in the gaunt features and the high, arching cheekbones and decided that there was too much resemblance for this woman to not be the mother of the girl upstairs. He saw her lips move, muttering something, but he did not know what she said. The woman let her broom lean against the wall and trudged up the stairs to the source of the screaming. The girl still had not stopped.

It was getting on his nerves now, the incessant wailing. He wondered whether he really wanted to bring someone like her back to Neverland. He liked problematic people, but this one was a little too much. She probably wouldn't fit in normal society. He didn't think even the masters might want her, though he couldn't be sure because they weren't very picky usually. While he was musing, the woman had disappeared up to the next floor, and now suddenly the screaming stopped. It was an abrupt silence, and it left his head ringing. The memory of her shriek had imbedded itself in his mind.

After a while, the woman came back down the stairs. If she had looked tired earlier, she looked absolutely exhausted now, one hand placed against her temple, the other hand clutching tightly on to the banister as she made her way downstairs. In the aftermath of the girl's screaming, the silence was loud and deafening, so blatantly present that he almost wished the girl would scream again – though he knew that once she started, he would want to slap her himself to shut her up. She was like a siren, wailing over and over again, signalling the arrival of a transgressor. Which had been him.

Perhaps there was something more to this. In this whole area, this was the closest he had come to capturing someone, taking them back to Neverland. He wanted to return by tonight. The longer he spent in this place, away from his home, the more nauseated he felt. He didn't know if the nausea was due to physical or psychological reasons, he just knew he couldn't stay on Earth forever. He didn't have time to go to search another neighbourhood. He was going to have to stick with this possibility, and judging by the looks of things her mother would not miss her much when she left.

He hesitated, struck by an outrageous idea. There was one way he could find out exactly what was wrong with this girl. He knew it was perfectly normal to be shocked, even outright frightened, by a stranger suddenly appearing on the balcony, but to continue screaming on and on even after he had removed himself from her vicinity – now that was abnormal. He wanted to ensure he wasn't bringing an absolute lunatic back with him to Neverland. He and the Lost Boys had more than enough problems on their hands already, there was no need to add another one unnecessarily.

 _Well, there's no better way, and as I deliberate the sun gets closer to setting._ Decisively, he set foot on the little pavement that led up to the front door of the house. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and rapped smartly on the front door – he half-expected the innocuous action to set off another bout of screaming, but thankfully his surroundings remained undisturbed. There was the sound of someone shuffling towards the door, an almost reluctant kind of sound, and then the door opened.

It was the woman in the living room, her eyes narrowed slightly in obvious suspicion. She had opened the door just a crack, just enough for her to look out and see who her guest was. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was sharp and piercing, stern, but it also sounded tired. It was like the voice of a wearied mother. "I've never seen you around before. If you're looking for lodging or food, I'm afraid we don't have anything to offer you," she said dismissively, clearly about to close the door again. He quickly stepped forward, right up against the doorframe, and the woman stilled.

"I'm not here to look for either food or shelter," he let his voice drop into a low murmur, a sensuous, persuasive whisper. He knew the woman was listening, was attracted to his voice – the door opened yet another hairline crack, and he could see the curl of her hair over her forehead. "I'm here about your daughter. I heard her screaming from outside, and I was wondering if she's…okay," he said delicately, wondering if he would be able to miraculously bluff his way through this conversation.

"My daughter?" the woman repeated, sounding incredulous. Suddenly, she seemed more angry than suspicious. "Do _you_ think she's okay?" she demanded. "She's absolutely insane. Kept insisting that she saw some boy, some boy floating at her window – she's gone _mad_ with longing, thinking that there's a paradise out there and some angel will bring her home one day. And wait," she looked long and hard at him, "how do you even know about my daughter? I can positively swear that you've never been here before. I would have seen you. I've been here for years. You're a stranger."

"I'm a distant cousin of someone living in the next town," he gestured vaguely in a northward direction. "He told me to get out of town and explore around a little. I hopped on a random bus and somehow found my way here, and was hoping to borrow a phone to call home so I could find my way back. I left my phone at home," he shrugged sheepishly, putting all the knowledge he gained from his frequent trips to Earth to good use. "I was on the way to your door when I heard the screaming start, and it piqued my interest, given that this place seems so…peaceful."

The woman's eyes were still narrowed in suspicion. "How do I know that you're who you claim you are?" she asked. "You could be a robber or thief. Not that I have anything of value left for you to steal here, but better to be safe than sorry, isn't it?" she shook her head, incredulous. "In fact, I don't even know why I'm still talking to you. You're a charmer, aren't you?" she said dryly. "Get out of here before I call the police on you, boy. You're lucky I'm too tired to chase you out myself."

"I have money," he shrugged. "I don't need any of yours. I was just concerned about the commotion I heard outside. You might want to get your daughter to see a psychiatrist…assess her situation. You should be thankful I'm not calling the cops on _you_ for keeping a mentally ill patient locked up in your house," he made to leave. "I was only here to kill time, not to stumble across the house of a psycho."

"Don't you dare call my daughter psychotic!" the woman shouted, suddenly flinging the door open. He smirked, his back facing her – he knew the moment he spoke to her that she was haughty and proud. It was in the tone of her voice, in the way she attempted to look down her nose at him though he was clearly the taller one between the two of them. And he knew that the best way to provoke someone as proud as her was to incense them and insult them. It was almost guaranteed that they would be provoked into responding. "Come in then, come in and see for yourself just how _normal_ and _sane_ she is!" she stressed those two words. "But try anything funny, and you're dead, stranger. I have guns in the house and I'm not afraid to use them in the name of self-defence."

That last part was a warning that did nothing other than amuse him, but he let his demeanour become wary and contrite. "Oh, I didn't intend to frighten you. I'm perfectly normal, just some kid visiting his relatives during his free time and wandering around the neighbourhood, curious about things we ought not to be curious about. I'll assure you that you'll have no opportunity or reason to use your guns on me," he took her invitation and stepped inside the house, looking around as he passed the threshold. The woman closed the door behind him, locking it with an audible click.

He stood in the middle of the living room, noticing how neat and tidy it was – almost _too_ neat. There was the sense that people didn't really live and interact in this space. "Follow me," the woman sent him a careful look, a clear warning that he better not try any funny business. "Trust me when I say I know how to protect myself and my own," she added as he followed her up, gliding his hand casually against the smooth banister. He did not bother to respond to her pointless threat, humming softly to himself as he went up the stairs. Bullets could not kill him. Guns did not frighten him in the slightest.

The woman led him to one of the doors on the second landing. "You will not enter her room. You will just look at her from outside and ask her your questions if necessary," the woman set clear boundaries. She shook her head a little from time to time, as though questioning herself. He knew that she was wondering why she had let this stranger into her house, but that wasn't something she would be able to answer. There was something about him and his charming good looks, his sly serpent's tongue, that beguiled humans, made them do what he wanted them to do, even if what he wanted directly contradicted their personal desires. It always appeared as though they did it of their own volition, but his hypnotic words lingered in the back of their minds, twisting them to his bidding.

It wasn't magic. It wasn't any sort of special divine power. It was just that he was old, he had centuries and centuries of experience learning how to lie and how to use his words, how to choose the correct words for the correct situation, how to bend people to his will as easily as how reeds bent in the wind. His only weakness, even after all these years of practice, were his eyes. He found it immensely difficult to maintain eye contact when he was lying. But he had learnt how to get around that – he found a little spot on the person's face or behind the person to stare at, and unless the other person was particularly observant and a practiced liar too, they would never suspect that he wasn't maintaining direct eye contact with them. His Lost Boys would have been aware of this.

The woman knocked on the door. There was no response, and a few seconds later she opened the door, revealing the room he had seen while on the balcony. The girl was facing the window instead of the door now, rocking back and forth on her giant bed. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, cocooning herself – it was a self-protective position, balling up and withdrawing into her own world. The woman cleared her throat loudly, trying to get her attention, but she was ignored.

"Hatsune Miku," the woman said sternly, and he noted her name with interest. "There's someone here to see you. Be on your best behaviour," then she stepped back but not away, allowing him to have greater access to the room's entrance. The girl had stiffened when her mother said she had a guest, and slowly, she turned around to face the open door. Their eyes met, and her lips parted.

"But that…" her voice was high-pitched like her scream, but now she wasn't shrieking her head off, he noticed that she had a wispy, barely-there sort of voice, sweet but vague. Perhaps it was because all the screaming had made her voice hoarse. He knew she was about to say that he was the boy who had been outside on her room balcony, but he gave her a warning look and she stopped herself. Instead, she glanced up at her mother. "I…I know him," he tilted his head, watching her. "He's…not from around here. But I've met him before," she lied, and he arched an eyebrow, still watching her.

"Really now?" her mother asked, as imperiously haughty as before. "Where did you meet him? How did you meet him, in school or? Where is he from, what is his name?" at this barrage of questions, the girl's brow furrowed, almost as if she was in pain. She started to shake her head, and he decided that he had to intervene before she answered with anything that clashed with his own story.

"We met in school, during an exchange programme. And my name is Kagamine Len. I didn't know you were the one giving your mother problems, Miku," he called her familiarly, lips pressing into a tight smile. She looked back at him, startled that he knew her name, but wisely played along – no, from what he was seeing, she didn't seem insane at all, not like what her mother had told him.

"I didn't ask you," the woman snapped at him. Then she relaxed slightly. "But you know him?" this time, she directed her question straight at the girl. The girl nodded confidently, and the woman seemed to think for a while longer. He could practically hear the gears in her head whirring. "Fine then, I'll give you two a little time to get reacquainted. And if you knew her for only that short exchange programme or whatnot, then you can find out for yourself just how much of a psychotic she is," she smiled thinly. It was not a pleasant smile. Then she started back down the stairs, and he got the impression that she was happy to be able to distance herself from her daughter for a while.

"Come in and close the door," the girl beckoned, and he did as she said, wondering at why she trusted him enough to just allow him into her room like this, despite him being a complete stranger. Perhaps it was the belief that she was safe, maybe she had guns in her room too, like her mother did. Or maybe she was just outright crazy. Yet, when he stared at her now, he didn't feel like she was crazy. She looked, for all matters and intents, perfectly normal, save for the gauntness of her face.

"I don't know who you are, or what you want from me. But you were the one who was outside my room window just now. I knew I couldn't have imagined that, no matter what Mother says," the girl stated calmly, gravely. "You know why I couldn't stop screaming just now?" she asked, piquing his interest. He shook his head, and she stared at him a moment longer – an unnerving, long look, one that actually made him feel uncomfortable. It was hard to unsettle him, he had seen so much.

"It's because that moment I saw you in the sunlight…I didn't see you the way you are now," she gestured to him, standing in the shadows of her room. "I saw your blond hair and your blue eyes, those didn't change at all. But," she hesitated now, and he leaned forward slightly, eager to hear. His hand entered the sunlight piercing through the window, and she gasped, gaze drawn directly to his hand. "But your skin was translucent and I could see your bones, your grinning skull looking right back at me, your eyeballs with the blue irises rattling away in the hollow sockets. And I was terrified," she shook her head slowly. "Don't lie to me like how you did my mother. You're not…human. You're not a person. What exactly are you?" she gave him the same long look her mother had given him.

"That's something you'll have a chance to find out," he answered smoothly, and he saw her tilt her head, listening to and registering the sound of his voice. "Didn't your mother say you had fantasies? That an angel would come to fetch you, bring you to paradise. What if I told you I was that angel?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and in that instant she looked just like her proud mother, the same green eyes hostile and incredulous all at the same time. "She let slip that to you?" she accused, and he shrugged, not denying the truth. "To a stranger…my darkest desire!" she seethed. " _That's_ how much she considers my feelings – that's how much she wishes I would leave!" she spat, not at him nor at anyone in particular, but he could feel the bitter venom in her words. "My _mother_? She spends more time with the children of other people than with her own. A fine mother she makes!"

He was more surprised by what she saw in the light of the sun than her anger at her mother. The latter made sense. The former did not. No one else had ever seen him that way in the sun. Even he had not seen himself that way before. Yet it appeared that out of the sun's rays, he looked normal to her. Was it something about her, something about her apparent insanity which gave her such sight? Clearly, it was the first time this had happened to her; it was unlikely she would have reacted this way if she had seen this before. Was it just him? Or…would it be anyone from Neverland?

"Do you want a chance to leave all this behind?" he asked, as he usually did. "I can give you that chance. You could be anyone you wanted to be. You can go anywhere you want to go – free from constraint, free from rules and judgement. _You could be anyone you wanted to be_ ," he repeated, leaning slightly closer to her, the last part whispered softly. She looked up at him, her burst of anger quietening – she seemed to be thinking over his words. "You could be free of your mother," he murmured, an extra incentive. From what he saw so far, her mother was not a pleasant person.

"Leave everything behind…" she echoed. "That's a tempting thought. I bet that's what you tell everyone though, isn't it?" she suddenly shot the question right at him, and he blinked, staring at her. "You're probably the kind who goes around, tempting people to leave their homes, leave everything behind for an uncertain future with you. I know your kind. I see them, you know," her own voice dropped to a whisper, "I see them in my dreams. People just like you. Not quite like you. They're not blond haired like you. But they are…tempters. I would call them that. They want more from me than I am willing to give. And you want me to give you my soul?" she asked him.

They stared at each other for a while, him – for the first time he could remember – not quite knowing what to say, and her, placid, waiting for his reaction. He attempted to think of a coherent response. "What are you?" was all he could come up with, and she smiled, shaking her head.

"I think that's something I ought to ask you instead. What are _you_? What do you want from me? I don't even know your name. Is it really Kagamine Len?" he nodded, and she nodded as well, satisfied. "Are you human then, Len? I don't think you are. Humans don't turn into the living dead while standing in the sun. You want the same thing from me that my dreams do. You want my life and my soul. But for once," she stared hard at him, "I wonder if I would mind giving them up."

He felt compelled to tell her the truth about what she should expect. There was just something about her – something about her gaze, those eyes so wide and her look so piercing, that made him feel like he shouldn't lie to her. Who knew what she could see? Could she see that he was lying to her, lying through his teeth? "Where we go will not be Paradise. It won't even resemble a normal, mundane human life. The most accurate description of it would be Hell. You fight to survive. You hunt your own prey. You eke out a miserable existence in a land where the soil and sun are weak, the shadows are long and the moonlight holds strong influence over the world. It's a place where monsters are not only real, but they're also out to destroy everything you've ever held dear. Where I bring you will be a place where your very identity, your very self, will be ripped to shreds – and that's provided you don't end up being fodder for the dark overlords of the place," he shuddered.

The girl, Miku, was silent for a while. Then suddenly, she beamed up at him. "That sounds like the greatest proposal I've ever heard in my life," she said cheerfully. He stared at her – perhaps she was insane, after all. How could anyone possibly see that as something…good? He had lived there for centuries, and he could not tolerate the place. She noticed his look of bewilderment. "Do you know what it's like to live with monsters inside your head?" she asked. "Do you know what it's like to look up and see imaginary shadows…imaginary monsters, lurking behind every corner, watching your every move? I'd rather have monsters in my reality. You can run away from physical monsters. I'm good at running away," she said pensively. Then she looked him, once more, in the eye, and the next words she uttered he would never forget – "It's the monsters inside us all, the monsters that claw away inside our head, trying to get out, that are impossible to escape. They are our greatest fears."

* * *

He came back at night at her request. She told him to give her some time to think over what he suggested, and by night time she would give him her answer. He wondered if she would agree to leave with him. She seemed like she was…interested. But then she knew of the dangers.

It could go either way. His heart was racing away in his chest as he wondered about her decision, about what choice she would make. He hoped she would come. He had spent all his energies on this one girl, and he would hate to see all his efforts come to nought. The moon was high in the sky by the time he reached her house – he flitted through the neighbourhood, quiet and stealthy, making sure that none of the neighbours spotted him, always taking care to keep to the shadows.

When he arrived, he went up the pavement to the front of the house first, wondering if he could enter through the front – perhaps she would have left the door unlocked for him, and he would not have to take an alternative method to get to her room – but, to his dismay, the door was locked fast. He was going to have to take the balcony route then. He stepped away from the door, past the window towards the back of the house. As he passed the window, something moved, catching his eye – he turned, and came face to face with the girl's mother, green eyes staring blankly out of the window right back at him. His heart stopped for a moment, he was so utterly shocked.

He braced himself for her reaction, knowing she would not take kindly to his intrusion at night, but the expected outburst never came. He waved his hands in front of her face, and still there was no reaction. He stared at her, and she stared back at him, blank face not registering anything at all. After a while, she turned away from the window and he watched her go stiffly back to the stairs, climbing back up to the next floor. He frowned. That was strange. He would ask Miku about it later.

He went the rest of the way to her room without any obstruction whatsoever, and when he rapped on the window this time, the curtains were drawn and the girl calmly let him into her room, never batting an eyelid as he stepped past the glass panels, onto her desk and then onto the floor. "It's late," she said conversationally. "I was half-expecting you not to come. It wouldn't be the first time I was abandoned," she continued, in a manner reminiscent of someone discussing the weather. "I get left behind all the time. You get used to it after a while," she mused. "But you…you came back. You must want me," she peered at him, and he said nothing. "You know that you're normal in the moonlight? It kind of makes me believe that you're normal. That's the first time in a long time I've been wanted, you know, by someone even close to normal," she smiled. It was a wan smile.

"I need to ask you about something that happened to me earlier downstairs," he changed the topic, knowing he would have to get back to it sooner or later. "Your mother…I ran into her while I was walking to the backyard. She was just staring, staring out of the window…she didn't seem to notice I was there although I was right in front of her. Do you have any idea what's going on with her?"

Miku seemed unsurprised by what he described. "Mother's a sleepwalker. Sometimes, she sleeps with her eyes open. But she's out cold," the girl shrugged, winding some of her hair around her long, slender fingers. In the darkness, in the areas where the moonlight did not reach, her hair looked black. "Sometimes you can hear her bumping around into things at night, it's sort of funny until she ends up tripping and hurting herself. Then she'll wake up. It's never pretty when she wakes up."

"I see," he didn't know what else to say, but a sleepwalker who walked with her eyes open…that was strange indeed. It was little wonder that her daughter turned out, well…slightly abnormal as well. "Have you come to a decision then, Miku?" he asked, returning to the most pressing topic at hand. "Tonight, I'm leaving. Tonight's the last chance you have if you'd like to return with me," he offered. It wasn't a very convincing offer. He knew he sounded half-hearted. But there was no point, he decided, in putting up a cheerful front when she already knew what she would be getting herself into. She would have already made her decision by now. Nothing he did or said would affect it.

She tilted her head up, watching him. After letting him into her room, she had returned to sit on the edge of her vast, lonely bed, and now she was just watching him. It was somewhat reminiscent of the way a cat might watch a rat, and he felt vaguely uncomfortable with that. He was normally the predator of humans, of children. But she was not a child – she had to be near eighteen, perhaps already past that age. And there was something in her gaze that spoke of knowledge and awareness far beyond what he was used to. Was it because of the monsters she claimed resided in her head? Did they give her the keenness of vision she appeared to possess? Or was she just schizophrenic, seeing things and hearing voices that were not there? He wondered if he would be able to find out in the future. If she was willing to follow him to Neverland, then perhaps he would know more.

"I will come with you," she finally said, and he blinked, not having really expected that answer. "But I must know a few things once I get there. I want to find the monsters. Show them to me," her voice dripped with hunger. "I want to see whether they're more terrifying than the beings that come to me in my dreams. Are the monsters of reality as dangerous as the ones conjured in the mind? The worries of life don't concern me – bills, people, love, none of that is important. What's important is our _fea_ r, our consciousness. What's important is that we're aware of our own awareness. We have to know," her voice had taken a tranquil, faraway kind of quality, "our place in the world, how tiny and pathetic we are against the backdrop of ancient fears and desires. And where do we go now?"

The last question was directed at him. He forced himself to smile, and held out a hand. "We go wherever it is you wish to go. We go to the place where you can be anyone you want to be," he paused. "Do you want to say your last goodbye?" he asked. She thought for a while, then she nodded, and they both snuck out of her room, making their way quietly to another room just a little distance down the hall. She twisted the doorknob, and they both entered her mother's room.

Miku stood there, watching over the woman with a look of almost tender sorrow in her eyes. "She's a teacher, you know," she told him, gaze never leaving the troubled expression of her mother. The woman's eyes were closed. "My father died when I was young. My mother had just started working, and barely made enough to feed both of us. This house was left to us when my grandfather died – we would never have been able to afford it otherwise. The house and all its belongings," she shook her head. "She never knew how to deal with me. So she retreated to other, normal children, hoping that one day she would come home and I wouldn't be there to trouble her anymore. I'm finally granting her wish," she sighed. "If she knew, she'd be happy, wouldn't she? Don't you agree, Len?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Finally, he managed to mutter, "I find it hard to believe that any parent, no matter how cold and removed, would despise their own child." He glanced down at the sleeping woman. In sleep, she looked more peaceful, less challenging than she was in the afternoon. "You'll come to know that if you survive where we're going. We will live forever. These people who raised us will not. They will die, and we will still be young, and young forever."

She laughed. It was a soft, bitter sound. "You preach. You talk of parents as though we should appreciate them. There are always cases, Len – times when we shouldn't appreciate our parents. I always wondered why my mother brought me into the world when she neglected me so. I would have been better off dead," she said matter-of-factly. "The only reason why I am still alive is because I decided I would face my own demons, not let them get the better of me. I'll fight them on my own basis, on my own rules. I'll face the demons of your reality over those in my head any day," she shuddered, suddenly wrapping her arms around herself, as though she was cold. "I'd rather fight them because, even if I play by my own rules, I have not managed to defeat my own monsters."

On one level, she sounded completely insane. On another level…he understood her. He understood the tone of her words and the sudden misery that crossed her expression. She was miserable. That much he understood. "Let me make it better. Let me take that misery away," he whispered, holding out his hand. Slowly, tentatively, over the sleeping figure of her mother, she took it. He gripped her hand tightly, feeling the iciness of her skin and marvelling at the delicacy of the bone underneath. "You are fragile," he whispered. "But you are also stronger than you look," it was something that he could _sense_ , on some level. Something from what he had observed about her – this girl who lived with her neglecting, domineering mother, this girl who saw things even he could not see, this girl who lived with monsters inside her head – that showed she was, for all her brittleness, strong.

"Get me out of here," was all she said in reply, and he obliged to that. He took her back to her room, past the open window onto the balcony. He held her in his arms. Wordlessly, he beguiled her, his hypnotic voice lulling her to sleep – then he took off into the skies, pupils dilating, fingers pressing so tightly into her skin that if she had been awake, she would have cried out and struggled in pain.

Her skin bruised, but he did not notice. _Second star to the right and straight on till morning._


	3. Chapter 3

She was roused from her deep slumber, and she knew not where she was. She could feel that she was not on a bed – in fact, she seemed to be supported by two poles, and that felt unstable.

"Wake up," the boy was saying, and she struggled to wakefulness, feeling for a moment like a fish out of water. "Wake up, we've arrived," her eyelids parted a crack, and she saw his face hovering over hers, blue eyes narrowed at her, gauging her reaction to his words.

She grew aware of the fact that she was in his arms, but could muster no energy to feel flustered about it. Whatever he had done to put her to sleep had been most effective…she remembered. He sang. He had sang a lullaby that she recalled her father singing to her once, when she was little. It was familiar. A different voice, for her father's was huskier, but…it was the same song, she was sure.

"How did you know that song?" she couldn't help asking, not recognising the voice which spoke the question. She had never heard herself sounding so groggy, so disoriented before. Her voice seemed lower than she remembered. Was it really her voice? "My father used to sing that, when I was little. Before he died," she could muster up little emotion over his death. She was five when he passed. Back then, she wasn't fully aware what death was yet, what it meant for her and her mother.

To her, her father, her big strong father who liked to carry her on his shoulders and sang her to sleep at night when her mother was tired from a day out at work, was somehow…no longer there. He wasn't in the house anymore. He was in the long wooden box they had lowered into the ground – a coffin, her mother said. She wondered if one day, her father would awaken from his slumber and come out of the ground back to them. He died from being run over, people told her. It meant that he was crossing the road and someone drove a car right over him, and that killed him.

From then on, she never liked cars. At first, she didn't understand what death meant, and always thought that one day her father would return. But her mother, turned harsh and embittered after her father's premature death, told her cuttingly one day that he was never going to return. He was dead and gone, and he would be gone forever. It was only the two of them left. They were alone, they were dirt poor, and they were going to have to think of a way to fend for themselves.

When she realised that the car driving over her father led to him never coming back – the feeling was intensified after her mother stopped coming to her room at night – she felt like she could never look at a car again without feeling sick. Her mother lost herself in alcohol for a while, and throughout that time her grandfather looked after her. He was not an affectionate man, still an advocate for corporal punishment, and sometimes she thought about running away from home and surviving on the streets herself. She was eight at that time. Her mother was a drunkard, her grandfather was harsh and domineering just like how her mother would be in a few years, and she was all alone.

Her mother turned bitter because she believed that her father had been cheating on her with another woman – she believed that the reason why he had been knocked over was because he was careless in crossing the road, eager to meet his mistress. She didn't know whether or not her mother was right. She was too young to think about cheating and morality – she was just a little girl who wanted what had been taken away from her, too quick and too soon. Even now, she never knew if her mother was correct. There had been adult procedures done back then, her mother talking to men in black suits. She didn't remember much from those days; they were bad days for her.

The only thing which really stood out was this lullaby her father always, always sang to her for the first five years of her life. He told her once that this was a 'secret song', that his mother had sang it to him when he was little, and her mother before that, and her mother, and then her father, all the way to a long, long time ago when the world was young, wishes came true, and people could fly. Of course, she knew now he was exaggerating then, but even so…the lullaby was a song that had been passed down to him, an entire legacy to which she was the sole heir. Or she thought she was the sole heir. Yet, the blond haired boy with the grave blue eyes seem to show that she wasn't.

How did he know this song? His eyebrows lifted slightly at that question, and he pursed his lips, seeming to wonder what she was going on about. She wouldn't be surprised if he was, indeed, questioning her sanity. Everyone she met thought she was insane. But she alone was perfectly aware of how lucid she was. She wasn't insane – she just saw things that no one else could see, she was so hyperaware of her surroundings that she noticed things other people missed. She knew she did. She wasn't afraid to confront the monsters lurking in the dark, under the bed, in the closet, in her head.

"Can you stand?" was all he said in response, and she obliged, slipping easily out of his arms and standing, albeit shakily, on the firm ground. It was only when her feet touched the solid dirt did she suddenly let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, desperately relieved to be back on _terra firma_. "It's a lucky thing you're so skinny," he now said, circling her with the eye of a predator, watching her every movement carefully. She followed his circle with her gaze. "I'm used to carrying little children, not grown teenagers like you. But you were the only one I could find who would likely be willing to come here with me," he shrugged. "If you were any heavier, we might not be able to make it in time for daybreak. Not that there's much of a sunrise here in Neverland."

It was only after he mentioned daybreak did she realise exactly how dim the place was. They were near a forest, its twisted, gnarled black branches overhanging far above them, looking mildly threatening. The grass on which they stood seemed wilted, and there didn't seem to be any animal life, at least none she was able to see. Overall, it gave the impression of bleak desolation, and she was reminded of how he told her about the scarcity of the land, how hard it was to eke out a living.

The dimness of the area was the kind of dimness that came right before the sun rose, and she craned her neck, tiptoeing to see the hills over at the other horizon, away from the forest – she could see a very, very faint glimmer of sunlight between those hills. If it hadn't been so dark she probably wouldn't have seen the glow at all. "There's not much sunlight here," the boy continued, who was now standing next to her, looking in the same direction. "No beautiful sunrises either. We make do with what we have," he said dismissively, turning away from the hills.

She continued watching, waiting for the sun to rise. He made a motion, as if to tell her to leave the place, but she did not move, ignoring him. He stood there for a while, away from her, on the path that led towards the forest, but still she did not move, and finally he let out a sigh and came back to stand next to her, his arms folded across his chest. He seemed impatient, but she didn't care about what he thought. She was in a completely different world now, and she wanted to see how it was so different from Earth – other than the obvious sense of desperation that permeated the place.

The sun eventually clambered into the sky, its weak, watery sunlight bathing the land in a faded glow. There was little warmth from the sun. She felt the rays hit her skin, just a little warmer than when it was completely dark earlier, and turned to the boy standing by her side, wondering if the sunlight would make him look skeletal again. He glanced at her when she looked at him, and she stared, but she saw nothing change – it appeared that in the light of his own world, he looked perfectly normal. She frowned and wondered why he was so different while he was on Earth.

"Now that you have seen the sunrise," his voice sounded heavy, "are you ready to follow me?" he gestured towards the forest. She looked at the forest again, this time in the light of the sun – despite the sun's weak rays, it did help in making the forest seem slightly less foreboding. The darkness that seemed so impenetrable in the dim light earlier had given way to a shallow, poorly-defined path that led its way into the heart of the forest beyond. She wondered what lay inside such a dead place. What could there be to fear within its depths? It didn't even look like it could support life.

"Wherever you may wish to lead me," she answered, following him as he took his steps towards the place. His back stiffened as they passed through the overhanging branches into the place, and she had the vague sense that she was stepping into another world, past a boundary she would not be able to pass through again. She looked back, to see one last glimpse of the hills beyond, and blinked in surprise as she saw nothing but more and more dead trees, extending far back into the distance.

"It's like that," the boy in front of her seemed to know her question before she even found the words to voice it out loud. "The forest is alive, though it looks pretty dead. It's the kind of place that's really easy to stumble into, and near impossible to get out. All sorts of people make their homes here – the Red Indians, the pirates…and whoever I bring here who manages to survive," he shrugged again, though this time the action looked forced. "No one can get out of here, the forest moves and tricks people into taking endless turns, making circles…I'm the only one who can leave. And even then, if I don't concentrate hard enough, sometimes I get lost too," he turned away from her, leaving her to ponder over his words. She wondered why he, of all people, was so special.

Why was he, over every other person who surely must have gotten lost in the forest before, the one chosen to be Peter Pan?

* * *

They had been wandering for what seemed like hours, and she was bored. Len was not a particularly good conversation partner. There seemed to be something lurking in the forest – something he kept furtively looking around for – that prevented him from speaking too much about anything to her.

So far, what she learned from him was that he was ten when he arrived on Neverland. He had a family once – a twin sister named Kagamine Rin, and his parents. He couldn't remember his parents' faces anymore, and that made her wonder how long he had been here. Surely a decade, for she guessed he was twenty, was not long enough for him to forget so completely what his parents looked like? He seemed uncomfortable when she continued to probe, and she eventually dropped it.

He said that part of what his job entailed was bringing children here, always by their own wishes, for them to frolic and enjoy the idea of true freedom. He told her that usually, Neverland would generate an illusion where it was, indeed, a land of endless fun – a land of possibilities, where the child would be free of whatever it was that made it wish to run away in the first place.

It was only after the child exhausted itself, when it wanted to go home and realised it couldn't – when it realised its folly in running away with a complete stranger, did the illusion of Neverland dissipate. For children, no matter how rebellious, how upset they were, would always miss their parents. Even homeless children would miss their siblings or friends, the people they met on the street. They missed their old lives. They missed having a goal or purpose in life, for it was inhuman to keep seeking pleasure. Children, little developed as they were in the ways of society, knew at least that it was human to have duty, and inhuman to not. Only animals could keep finding pleasure.

And even animals had duty, to themselves or to their clan, if they happened to belong to a group. Once children came to such an awareness, the illusion of Neverland dissipated, and they saw this bleak world, the truth of the soil on which they stood. _There is no such thing as limitless pleasure, there is no such thing as eternal joy, at least not without some kind of heavy, terrible sacrifice_.

She asked him what happened after that. He refused to answer her, so onwards they trudged in silence. She looked around as they marched on, him tight-lipped and weary and she both repulsed and curious about her surroundings. The place was dismal, she could see no way of tricking herself into believing otherwise. She didn't think she had seen another land so forlorn, so empty – the trees were stunted, the ones that grew tall looked charred and black. The branches were twisted into all sorts of strange positions, as though in pain. There were circular patterns on the tree trunks, and if she stared hard enough, she could trick herself into believing that the circles were open mouths, shrieking in agony. The leaves of the forest were dry and crackled underneath her feet.

"Where are we going?" she asked again, for the third time. The boy walking in front of her – he made shuffling his way through the leaves look ridiculously easy, while she had to struggle not to slip or stumble on every step – let out an audible sigh and turned around to face her. She almost walked right into him, he gave so little warning. She prevented herself from crashing into him in the nick of time, a whoosh of air leaving her mouth as she held herself back. He held her gaze.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked, blue eyes carefully neutral. She nodded slowly, knowing that the answer would likely be horrible, but knowing that if she was aware that he lied, she wouldn't be satisfied with the answer. He closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. "Fine. I'll tell you," he said bluntly. "I'm bringing you to the…people, spirits, monsters, I don't know whatever the hell they are, that control this place. They're my masters. They're the ones who bid me capture new children for them regularly. I don't know what they do with the children. If you survive the meeting with them, we'll meet again," his eyes opened, meeting her shocked expression. "If you don't survive, if they take you, then this is the end of the line. We'll never meet again, and you'll just become someone else I met, one face in a long line of blurred memories," he shook his head.

She was tempted to run away as she stared after his shrinking back, getting further and further away from her. To be frank, whatever he just told her sounded most unappealing. To be placed utterly at the mercy of such unknown entities – these beings who could determine whether she lived or died – how could she just accept it like this? She didn't think that she might die the very moment she entered Neverland. Or perhaps it was worse than death. After all, Len didn't know what her fate would be. He had no idea if she would live or die, and even if she weren't to live, he didn't know if she would really die or if something else would happen to her. She didn't hate the possibility of dying. What she truly couldn't stand was the unknown, not knowing what would happen to her.

But she knew that if she were to run away, she would simply get lost. It would be a lingering death, far worse than any possibility he presented to her – because if she got completely lost in the forest, she knew she would definitely die. It was just a matter of whether she drove herself insane or died from starvation first. She looked all around her – the forest seemed harmless and dead, but occasionally she glimpsed shadows flitting in its depths, and that unnerved her. She was not, despite what her mother thought, insane. She was perfectly lucid, and she knew how to differentiate reality from what was unreal. Her mother thought she had hallucinations, but the monsters that came to her out from the wardrobe, clawing their way out from beneath her bed, were never mere visions.

They were manifestations of nightmares, they were the unthinkable and unseen, they were her deepest and darkest fears come to life. She knew not their form. She knew that they took nothing other than the forms of shadows and darkness. They whispered her name when she closed her eyes. They reached out, tendrils of cold and nothingness, trying to pierce their way into her heart whenever she tried to ignore them and go to sleep. They only appeared to her at night, and that was why she feared sleeping at night. She feared being alone. But her mother didn't understand.

No one understood, and she thought that Len, with his fear of his dark masters who didn't even seem to have a fixed form, might be the first to understand. The more she thought about it, knowing the futility of running away from him, the more she relaxed, knowing that either way she was doomed and there was nothing much she could do other than close her eyes and accept her fate. She reminded herself that no matter what came to her, there could be absolutely nothing that was more terrifying than the unknown faces of the nightmares she faced every night. Even death would be a blessing at this point – death in a land where she was removed from her mother, removed from the only possible person who could make her feel guilty if she ever tried to take her own life.

She hurried along after him, trying to keep him in sight. He seemed to sense her growing fatigue as she picked her way over protruding roots and potholes in the ground – as she grew more and more tired, the more it felt like the branches of the trees were extending out towards her, clawing and snatching at her hair and her hands and her clothes, trying to keep her there, away from Len. The blond head paused a little distance ahead of her, and he watched her coolly as she stumbled her way over to him, breathing hard from the exertion. Her shirt was torn slightly, caught on the sharp tip of a black, wizened branch just moments earlier. "You need to keep up," he observed.

She shot him a glare, unable to believe how callously blasé he was about her situation. "You want to lead me to something that may well be my death," she said coldly, or as coldly as she could sound given her naturally breathy, high-pitched voice. "I'm personally wondering if I should even continue following you or take my chances with the forest – but I know what you will say," she held out a hand, preventing him from opening his mouth and saying his piece. "I can guess that the forest will just swallow me whole, and I will die a worse death, from lingering thirst and hunger and insanity. I can feel it. The place has been trying to devour me from the moment I started feeling tired," she shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "What manner of forest is this? It's more than just alive, it's…it's _parasitic_ , that's what it is. I don't like this place," she muttered, glancing down and kicking at the ground beneath their feet. "Why didn't I get the same illusion as the children?"

"Probably because you knew, from the beginning, what you were agreeing to. Since you came here with the knowledge of its true nature, why should Neverland have to show you any illusion?" he responded simply, in such a matter-of-fact way that it made her feel rather stupid. She probably would have defended herself if she didn't feel so tired at that moment. He continued staring at her for a while, then he sighed and crouched down before her. She stared at him, bewildered, and he turned his head, glancing up at her, eyes narrowing. "Get on my back. It'll be faster if I carry you. At the rate you're walking, we won't make it there before nightfall, and I'd prefer to be out of the forest before the moon comes up," he looked ahead again. "We don't have all day," he added impatiently, when she still hesitated, not quite willing to get on his back and hasten her approach to her demise.

Unwillingly, but somewhat thankful that she would no longer have to fight her way through the foliage, she carefully stepped up to him and got on his back, and he looped his arms beneath her thighs, hoisting her up and moving forward. His arms were slightly too close to her crotch for her comfort, especially given that he was almost a complete stranger, but she didn't voice her concerns aloud, knowing that this ought to be the least of her worries at the moment. "I didn't have to struggle so much to follow you at first. After a while, the more drained I felt, the more it seemed like the forest was trying to trap me, separate me from you. Is that normal?" she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder, tired out from her ordeal. She felt his back stiffen slightly at the question.

Even with her on his back, he seemed to be making easy progress along the path. She had to contrast that with her own difficulties earlier, and wondered how he made it look so easy – was it because he was a guy, and had more strength and stamina than her? Or was it just because he was a native of the place and thus could navigate the area with more ease than she could? It could be either reason, and she honestly could not muster up the energy to care about such a trivial matter.

"It could probably tell that you're an outsider. Like I said earlier, the forest is alive, and it can…feel things. You don't have the same feeling I guess, I don't know how else to describe it, as a native of this accursed place. The forest wants to toy with you. It wants to drag you into it and keep you in it for an eternity of tortured darkness. I can tell you that this, _this_ , is the worst thing that can happen to anyone in Neverland. Getting lost in this forest – it's the heart of Neverland, it's where all the foul air comes from, all the foul magic. It's the very source and creator of the place, it's the home of the dark masters. Here, we play with real, raw energy, in its most primal, chaotic form. The forest knows nothing of good and evil – it only serves its own entertainment and its own ends. It obeys no one, not even the word of the masters. Even the masters fear getting lost here. I've overheard them."

His answer sparked off dozens of questions, and she didn't know which one to ask first. If the forest was the source of Neverland's curse, why didn't anyone try to get rid of the place, burn it down or something? Who were all these people who could live in the forest, and coexist with such…magic? If these dark masters who wanted her life, or possibly other things, feared the forest so, then why did they still make their home here? But she decided to settle on the most basic question, the one she was sure she would get the most straightforward answer to. "Well, then how long will it take for the forest to stop recognising me as an outsider?" she asked, her eyelids drooping a little in tiredness.

Len had started to hum, that same familiar lullaby he used to lull her to sleep earlier. She still did not know how he knew the tune, or how with this simple song he was able to make her lose consciousness so quickly. She struggled against the waves of drowsiness to no avail – it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with nothing but a small bucket. "Don't just keep humming to yourself, answer me," she slurred, feeling her grip around his neck loosening but failing to find energy to tighten her hold.

She heard him say something. It sounded almost like "centuries", but she was sure her ears were playing tricks on her for how could he possibly be centuries old, when he looked barely older than she was? And that was the last thing she heard, that and the nonstop humming, before her eyes finally closed and she was pushed away unwillingly into the calm, forgetful waters of sleep.

He waited for her breathing to even, signalling to him that she was really, truly asleep, before he let himself breathe out in relief and focus on the task at hand. Talking to this girl tired him out. She always asked all the wrong questions, the things that he simply could not give her an answer to. It wearied him, having to circle around all her incessant queries. There were some secrets, some things about Neverland, he could not reveal. His age was one thing he would prefer to keep private.

Until he was sure she would be a part of his lost children, until he was certain that she would not be taken away by the masters, he would rather not develop much of a personal relationship with this girl. From the time he brought her into Neverland to the time he brought her in front of the masters, he was to be her guide, and nothing more than that. He was the one who would ensure that the forest would not devour her whole. She was to be delivered straight to the masters without any harm done to her – she was to be pristine, untouched, completely whole, the way a child was.

The masters had a weakness. For all their omniscience, they were unable to see the whole of Neverland when it was morning. Their power and reach intensified with the moon – the darker the night, the more they saw. In the morning light, they retreated into darkness, seeking the shelter that lay deep in the heart of the cursed forest. So until the sun started to set – how thankful he was for that weak, watery light – he was basically free to do whatever he wanted with the girl. He turned his head slightly, studying her. He could see nothing but the curl of her teal hair over her forehead, as she leaned her head against his shoulder, clearly fast asleep. She certainly didn't seem insane. In fact, so far throughout her entire time here, she had proven herself to be quite logical and rational.

Was that why her mother insisted she was not crazy? However, he believed in his instincts – there was something shifty about the way her mother reacted when he claimed the girl was psychotic. There was too much exaggerated offence taken at that statement for it to not have at least an inkling of the truth. Did her mother then at least believe in the possibility that Hatsune Miku was, as the humans put it, completely _loco_? He knew little about her, but he knew that the intense screaming she had produced just yesterday – it felt like such a long time since yesterday – could easily pass off as the actions of the mentally unstable. And her mother had seemed to act as if her daughter was unhinged. Honestly, it would make a lot more sense if Miku was completely irrational.

She had said nothing about the skeletons when she saw him in the sunlight here. He wondered if it was because the sun here was so much weaker and paler than the one on Earth, that when the rays of light struck him _here_ he didn't reveal as much as what the Earth's sun made him. He hadn't basked in true warmth in centuries, after all. He had almost forgotten what it was like to not be cold, and would have forgotten if it wasn't for his frequent trips back to Earth. Even then, even when he visited the place, the sensations of warmth were fleeting, quick and easily forgotten.

Time passed by in Earth far more quickly than it did in Neverland. In Neverland, there was no such thing as time. Things happened, things dragged, and people never forgot because the passage of time was simply too slow for people to just forget things overnight. That's why the people of Neverland were careful and wary. Once something was done, it wouldn't be forgotten. It would be remembered for years, decades even. He found that there was little he could not remember about his earlier days here, but everything that came before Neverland was just…a distant story. It didn't even seem real, the fact that he had a family before this. They were probably all dead. He wasn't.

He wondered if he ought to visit the Lost Boys first with the girl before he continued on his way to meet the masters. It was daytime now anyway, the masters would not be aware that he was back in Neverland already. And, no matter how he personally felt about the promise he made, he did tell Rei that he would bring back a girl for them. He glanced back again, at the girl sleeping on his shoulder. She stirred at the slight movement, muttered something and then went silent again. He didn't manage to catch what she said, but doubted that it could be anything of great importance now.

He had come to a crossroads deep within the forest. He knew the left route would take him to the Lost Boys, while the right route would take him to the masters, more or less. He stood there for a while, looking down both pathways, just deliberating his options. As he thought it over, he heard the girl stir again, and this time he could make out clearly what she said – "Len", she murmured, her voice trancelike. She said nothing else, but he knew that she had said his name. He didn't know what to feel about that. It had been a long, long time since a girl who wasn't a mere child spoke his name.

Perhaps this was what pushed him into making his choice – the fact that she had said his name, the fact that she seemed to be connected to him on some level he wished to deny – the lullaby he hummed that she seemed to recognise, the piercing green stare which seemed easily capable of piercing right to his very soul, the soft, single syllable she just uttered in her dreams, ending with a soft sigh. Whatever it was, he knew that he wanted to keep her alive and with him for just a while longer – he didn't want her to disappear from him so soon, not while it was still early morning.

So he changed his course, taking the leftward path, hoping to run into his Lost Boys soon and present this girl, this exotic creature none of them had really, really seen before – Piko was the only exception – to them, to let them know what it was like, how it was different to interact with someone who was of the opposite sex. He had promised them, after all. He told Rei that he would bring back a girl with him, and he would, as always, make good on his word. He continued on the difficult task of just putting his right foot before his left foot, and vice-versa, using it as a way to distract himself from the dilemma of decision. He knew that this was solely for his own good, the decision he was making. Why show her to the Lost Boys when he would have to take her away?

However, he could not back out of the promise, to bring the Lost Boys a female and human companion. He could remember very few things about his past, but the one thing he could recall was that no matter what, he would always live up to his promises. In this empty world all of them lived in, the only thing any of them had left to hold on to was their promises. They could lose everything they had, he and the Lost Boys, but they would never, ever break their promise to another.


	4. Chapter 4

She was honestly quite sick of being sent to sleep and then rudely awakened by the likes of Kagamine Len. She was actually having quite a pleasant dream when he woke her up this time. It had been a long time since she last had any pleasant dreams.

"Are we there already?" she slurred in the manner typical of the newly awakened. Len had stopped walking, standing quite still, and she wondered why he stopped. It took her a while to realise that if they had arrived at their destination, then she was soon about to…die? Disappear? She didn't know, and it wasn't helpful that Len did not know either. "I don't want to die yet," she added, now fully awake, though her voice still held no fear. Maybe the gravity of the situation just had not hit her.

"No, you're not going to die, not yet anyway," his words were far from reassuring but she relaxed, knowing that at least she was still going to live for a while. "I just decided that maybe you should meet some of the other survivors, those who have lived with me all these years. Then you'll see what will happen to you if you survive the meeting with the masters. It might give you some hope to pull through…if you like what you see, that is," he added. Then he turned his head, meaning to look at her, though he couldn't see her fully given that she was on his back. "Do you think you can walk now? You've had quite a rest, and we're no longer in the forest anyway. We're underneath it, and the earth itself isn't as dangerous as the trees above it. At the very least, it won't try to trick you."

She blinked, looking around – she had not noticed that they were underground, mostly because there was still light glowing into her eyes. In her groggy state, she naturally assumed they were still somewhere in the forest. She realised that they were within a large, spacious passage. On either side of the passage, torches lined the walls at regular intervals, flickering in bronze braziers, burning with an intense flame. She looked back – more torches lined the wall, all the way back until the passage curved and she could see no further. She wondered who kept all these torches alight.

"I'm good," she responded, unwinding her arms from around his neck, placing her hands carefully on his shoulders to stabilise herself. He crouched down again, letting her step safely onto the ground, and made sure that she was perfectly fine before he continued on his way. The walking here seemed to be much easier than it was aboveground, true to what he said. The cavern floor was smooth and worn, and the flickering torches threw shadows all across the walls. "So you and your survivors…they all live here? In these underground caves?" she asked, her voice echoing through the tunnel.

He nodded, but said nothing else. She didn't want to force them into a conversation, especially given that the boy seemed so unwilling, so she kept quiet. She wondered why she kept seeing him as a boy, when it would appear that he was more like a young adult. Perhaps it was because he was from Neverland. Even though the Neverland she knew was immensely different from what she was presented here, she couldn't shake off the echoes of eternal youth. Peter Pan, in the story she knew, was a young boy who never grew up. Len was Peter Pan, but he was a wearied, tired version of the character. Every bit as handsome as she expected, but there was exhaustion on his face, a hardened suspicion that lurked in those blue eyes. Yet she still kept seeing him as the boy of Neverland.

They continued walking in silence. The silence was not tense or awkward, but it was not exactly comfortable either. The silence seemed almost resigned. She felt like she was a prisoner being escorted to the death row, and he was her executioner. There was a familiarity in their relationship that was unwillingly inextricable. She knew that this was not the end yet, but the knowledge that sooner or later she would be sentenced to an unknown fate…the knowledge of what would come but not knowing when exactly was frustrating. And he was not one to answer such questions.

She was, again, tempted to try escaping the fate she chose for herself. She knew perfectly well from the start what she signed up for, and that was something she did not deny. She knew that the place was difficult, and he warned her already that there were monsters, dark overlords who demanded her soul. But the reality of her situation didn't hit her until she was on her way to her conclusion. On Earth, the concept of dying, of such entities…well, it wasn't foreign. An unknown, all-powerful entity would be like God, wouldn't it? So in a sense, these dark lords were the Gods of Neverland. But the idea that God would communicate personally with her and order her destruction, now that was strange, for the God she knew was all-loving and surely would not order the death of an innocent.

What was she other than an innocent in Neverland? She had never entered the place before. It seemed laughable that she would be sentenced to death despite doing nothing wrong. The reality that this place had different rules from what she was used to never really occurred to her. She thought that what he illustrated was nothing but a possibility; when she found out that she really would be sent to their…their gods right upon arrival, she didn't know how to respond. Because none of it made any sense to her. She had to get used to a whole new set of rules, and she wasn't sure if she had the time to do that anymore. Time was a luxury in Neverland, she was starting to realise.

If she didn't learn how to play by their rules quick enough, then she would die a miserable death.

* * *

He led her through what seemed like a never-ending maze. She was starting to go a little crazy from the constant darkness, the cold sameness of her surroundings. The flickering torchlights, throwing their shadows across the rock walls, weren't helping. It was starting to feel claustrophobic.

And still they continued walking in silence. In fact, the more they walked, the more defensive the air around him seemed to become. He was standing straight and tall, walking briskly ahead of her, but he radiated cold defensiveness. It was clear that he didn't want to entertain any of her questions, and she granted his wish. But that left her stuck with the thoughts inside her head. She wondered if, since she couldn't escape her demise while up in the forest, she could stay in these underground caverns and avoid the dark masters here. This place seemed so much friendlier than aboveground.

But then Len probably knew the area like the back of his hand. He lived here, after all – this winding, unending, _confusing_ network of passages was his home. After the fourth or fifth turn she already had completely no idea where they were going, and even less idea how to get back to where they were initially. If she slipped away, she would just wander around by herself until she either drove herself crazy, seeing nothing but rock and flickering lights, died of hunger or thirst, or ran into Len or one of his survivors – and then she would be right back where she started before her escape.

While she pondered, she followed him past another bend, and as she rounded the bend, she had to shield her eyes, her hand throwing itself up in reflex against the bright light – after spending so much time in the flickering orange light of the torches, to suddenly see a more natural white light blinded her. It was just a small square of radiance at the end of the passageway, and Len was striding right towards it. It must lead to wherever his survivors were. She suddenly hung back, a little wary – it occurred to her that she had no idea what these people were like. What if they were mentally unstable, as she suspected she herself would be if she was stuck here without any chance to leave? Or what if they didn't like her and asked Len to take her away to the masters as soon as possible? There were a whole multitude of possibilities here, and not all of them were pleasant.

He turned back halfway, realising that she wasn't following him. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, voice so neutral that she felt all the more unnerved. She didn't know what he was thinking, and the fact that she knew so little about her only guide through this hostile, foreign world was frightening. She wondered if she was stupid, agreeing to come to Neverland – but she knew that if she had remained on Earth, she eventually would have gone mad. Everyone already treated her like she was there. There was only so much she could take before she stopped trying to retain her sanity.

She followed him – what other choice did she have? – and he walked slower this time, as though to ensure she would not run away. Or perhaps she was reading too much into his actions. They steadily approached the exit of the passage, and she was struck by the thought of death – this reminded her so much of the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it wasn't too far off to think of this as that. It was the death of her old life she was walking towards, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing…

Well, other than the possibility of dying she faced, but other than that everything was just dandy. "There's no need to be nervous," Len suddenly said, still walking a little way ahead of her. She was startled by the sudden sound of his voice – it didn't seem like he wanted to talk to her unnecessarily. "They're not monsters – at least, not in the moral sense of the word…" his voice trailed off, and he fell silent. Now that was curious. She frowned, trying to understand the meaning of what he said.

So they were, in a sense, monsters? She passed through the square of light into the cavern beyond, and had to scrunch up her eyes against the sudden light that washed over the area. After so much time spent underground, even the feeble rays of Neverland's sun seemed blinding. After her eyes got used to the flood of light, she looked around – they appeared to be in an open cavern, the roof of the place having collapsed on itself. She could see the trunks of the forest above stretching high up over them, and from here it looked like they were reaching out into infinity.

Then she looked down, at her surroundings. The cavern floor was littered with leaves. There was a small area in the centre of the cavern, encircled with stones – for a campfire, maybe? From this cavern there branched five other entrances excluding the one she and Len just exited from. There were dead black logs lined up in a square formation around the circle of stones, though no one was sitting there at the moment. The area was spacious and disturbingly empty. Each entrance leading from the cavern was covered in thick vines. The leaves on each vine were black, like the forest.

Outside one of the entrances, there were two poles, one on either side. One pole was a spear, she saw the sharp metal tip glinting in the weak light of the sun. On the other pole was mounted…a skull. She hoped that it wasn't a real skull. Len noticed the direction in which she was looking, and seemed to smirk, if the pained smile that flitted over his face could be called a smirk. "They're…territorial. That room belongs to Akita Nero. He has a…special way of dealing with trespassers. But you're with me, so there's no worries about that," he touched her shoulder lightly, and she felt a sudden jolt run through her body, as though she had been shocked by static. She flinched away. He didn't comment.

"Come out," Len suddenly called out, his voice reverberating through the cavern. There was silence for a while, the hollow silence that came after echoes faded away, and she waited, tense and nervous, resisting the urge to squirm where she stood. She especially kept a nervous eye on the entrance with the skull, hoping that whoever came out from there wouldn't try and kill her out of his territorial instincts. Akita Nero…she was tempted to try the name out on her tongue, see how it would sound like when she spoke it. She believed in names. There was power in saying a name, calling someone by his name. A name could reveal certain things about the person to which it was attached, as long as you listened out for what the sound told you. Listened _closely_ to it.

One by one, figures, _shapes_ , slinked out of the entrances, pale hands parting the vines warily. She counted four of them, four boys, all who stepped into this large, open cavern and stared curiously at her. She suddenly felt the urge to shrink back, away from their intent gazes, but stood her ground, reminding herself that nothing, _nothing_ , could be more fearsome than the shadow monsters that lived around her and tried to tear into her at night. Nothing could be worse than her own fears. There was nothing to fear from these boys as long as Len was around, she was aware. She was safe for now, or at least she hoped she was. She hoped they would not see her as a threat.

Her gaze drifted towards the one who was named Nero. He was, like Len, blond haired, but where Len kept his hair tied up in a neat ponytail, Nero's hair was choppy and loose. His hair was shorter than Len's, hanging a little bit past his ears. His eyes, too, were not blue like Len's – they were the sharp, crystalline purple of amethyst, cold and beautiful. In his eyes there was a warning. His lips curled at the sight of her, a grimace but almost not – she wondered what he was thinking and met his gaze. He held her gaze for a moment and turned away, an almost dismissive gesture.

She turned to look at the others. The one who came out of the entrance nearest to her and Len had black hair, hair as dark as the forest above. His eyes were a striking gold – no, not gold, gold was too soft to describe his gaze. They were the amber of wolves. His face was completely expressionless, and he stood with his arms casually by his side. Like Len, she didn't know what he was thinking. He seemed to her completely unreadable. His stance was open but his thoughts were not. Yet, when she saw him, her first thought was that of a wolf – he reminded her of wolves, their lean gauntness both beautifully mesmerising and fearsome to behold. He was _wolfish_ , from his ashy black hair to his amber eyes to the hungry, open way he held himself. He had claws, she decided. And he wasn't afraid to use them on anyone who would get in his way. She turned to look at another.

This one was staring at her, outright staring, and he looked ravenous. She almost shrank away from the fierce intensity of his stare, but forced herself to hold his gaze for these few moments. His eyes were differently coloured, she noticed – one was icy blue, the other was forest green, a few shades lighter than the deep emerald of her own eyes. His hair was straight and loose, almost to his collarbones, and they caught the weak light of the sun and glimmered a sparkling silver. He wouldn't stop looking at her, and she wondered what he wanted. It was the look of a pleading man. But she didn't know what he was pleading for. She was uncomfortable with such desire – he seemed almost like he was begging for something – and she turned away before she could drown in his gaze.

The final boy – or man perhaps would be a better term – was the one which she decided was the most approachable out of all five of them. He had a curious look on his face as he regarded her. Unlike the others, whose expressions ranged from hostile to outright _want_ , he simply looked curious, like how another normal person might look when they were first introduced to someone. He had light green hair, which was rather different from the others who all had, admittedly, rather natural hair colours – it made her feel marginally closer to him knowing that at least, she had one thing in common with him. She had been rather self-conscious about her differently coloured hair all her life, and had always toyed with the idea of bleaching and dyeing it. She probably would have if it wasn't for the fact that her hair was excessively long, she never wanted to cut it, and spending so much money on so many bottles of hair dye just to hide her true identity was simply not worth it.

"These are the Lost Boys, the others with me who live in Neverland. Kagene Rei," Len gestured at the dark boy, who inclined his head at the sound of his name, amber gaze never leaving her, "Utatane Piko," he pointed at the silver haired boy, who flinched at the acknowledgement, "Akita Nero," Len introduced the boy whose name she already knew, and Nero narrowed his eyes, not responding in any other fashion, "and Nakajima Gumo," Len concluded, indicating the green haired one. Gumo smiled at her, and she felt slightly more at ease. "Can someone go dress Piko's wounds, he's bleeding all over the floor again," Len added, and she turned sharply to look at the mentioned boy.

Piko grimaced as he was brought to attention, Rei and Nero instantly pouncing upon him. As the other two led Piko back down the passage through which he came, she saw where the blood was coming from – she had failed to notice it earlier because all she was looking at was his face, that strange, pleading look he had been communicating to her. Now she saw that his legs, both of them, were heavily bandaged, and the right bandage was soaked through with red. "What happened to him?" she asked Len as the trio disappeared from sight. Gumo came a little closer to her and Len, situating himself on one of the logs. He said nothing, just listening in to their conversation.

Len grimaced. "Nothing you would want to know. It's not related to your…to whatever you'll be doing later," he glanced at Gumo as he said that. Gumo remained silent. "He's used to it, he'll be fine after some rest. I apologise if you found them…standoffish. Rei and Nero are especially hostile to strangers, Nero more so than Rei. They haven't seen a stranger in a long time," Len suddenly shook his head, looking wearied. "I give them what they want and this is how they react, it's ridiculous," he muttered to himself. She frowned, not understanding, but Gumo seemed to know what Len was talking about and he broke out into soft laughter, pushing his fringe back away from his eyes.

She glanced at him, and he quietened, returning her gaze. His eyes, a lighter green to her darker one, clashed with her eyes, and she wondered what he was thinking, what he thought of her. She wondered how old he was, how old all of them were. He broke eye contact first, seeming a little uncomfortable. She was used to that – her mother always told her she was strange, that she had this strangely vacant stare that, at the same time, seemed capable of looking into places people didn't want others to notice. She had the eyes of a witch. Or maybe a lunatic. Perhaps both.

"Did you post my letter?" Gumo asked Len. He had a melodious voice, slightly higher than Len's. Len refused to meet his gaze, which she found strange, but he nodded, and Gumo frowned, looking quite dissatisfied with that. "Did you post it personally?" he pressed. "Or did you just drop it in a mail box again? The previous time you said it probably got lost. I asked if you could…I don't know, give it to her directly? Did you do that, Len?" he continued. Both parties seemed to be getting agitated.

Len looked up at Gumo. "I did," he said shortly. "I went to the address you wrote, okay? They already moved away. Your mother, I mean. I don't know about your father, I don't know if they even stayed together after your disappearance," his voice softened a little, noticing the stricken look on Gumo's face. "Look, if I have any news from them, I'll tell you, okay? I know you're worried about her. If I were in your shoes, I would be too. I wouldn't keep anything from you," they held each other's gaze for a while, Gumo looking like he had more to say but the expression on Len's face clearly warning against that. He finally sighed and nodded. "Good," Len sounded relieved. "Anyway, I got this for you," Len reached into the pocket of his trousers, drawing out something – she didn't know what it was – and tossed the item at him. Gumo caught it, hand darting up so fast that it seemed almost inhuman. She blinked. Or maybe she just had comparatively slow reflexes.

Gumo studied the thing he held closely – now she saw it was an ornate dagger, the blade honed to perfection. She flinched, suddenly realising the damage it could have done if he had seized the wrong side...then she saw its sheath in his other hand, and quietly let out a sigh of relief. At least Len hadn't thrown the blade unsheathed at him. She had never liked the sight of blood. "Hey, thanks," Gumo grinned at Len, the letter matter clearly forgotten. "Rei borrowed my other one, lost it in the forest somewhere…I was starting to itch without a blade to sharpen," he sheathed the dagger, studying the thick leather, or at least she assumed it was made of leather. "Did you bring other things back?" he asked, looking up at Len again. Len shook his head, seeming regretful.

"Didn't have time to collect more if I wanted to make it back here before daybreak," he looked up at the open ceiling. The sunlight still shone down into the cavern. "The Red Indians have a Hunt tonight and it'd be best we don't miss it. Better not let Piko go, though. Don't want him running into Tiger Lily, not while he's in this state. I don't think he can handle the abuse," Len snorted softly. Gumo shook his head, looking more concerned than amused. "You know he'll heal. He'll always heal," Len's tone softened a little. "All of us heal, remember? Piko's spilled more of his own blood than the rest of us combined, and he's always survived. He'll heal faster if no one agitates him, especially not that Tiger Lily. He's had enough trauma for a few weeks," Len reached down, patting Gumo's back.

Gumo nodded, almost reluctantly. "I know you're right. We all know that. He'll be upset about missing the Hunt, though," Gumo's gaze drifted to her, and she jumped, startled, as both of them turned to look at her. She had been so absorbed in their conversation, wondering about what they were saying, that she had forgotten where she was and who she was. "Is she coming along?" Gumo now asked, and she fidgeted, not quite liking being spoken of as though she was not present.

"No," Len answered shortly. "I have…things to settle with her," then he hesitated. "Or maybe. I don't know, we'll see how our affairs go," he patted Gumo on the back again. "Go back, see what Rei and Nero are up to. They don't need this long to escort Piko to his room. Help me check what the hell is taking them so long to return – I don't need another argument between the two of them over who's the better hunter," his exasperated tone of voice seemed to show that this wasn't the first time such an argument had taken place. Gumo nodded obediently and took off, stopping at the cavern exit for just a moment to cast her one final glance. Then he parted the vines and hurried away.

There was a resounding silence in the cavern for a while. She broke it first. "So what's this Hunt about?" she asked. The way he and Gumo spoke of the Hunt made her think of Hunt, with a capital H, rather than hunt. The reverence attached to the word made it seem like an important event. Len glanced at her, his gaze shifty, and she stared him down, challenging him not to answer her.

He gave in. "Just some event that the Red Indians have," he muttered. "Their territory has the most wildlife, in this forest. The forest is split into four areas – there are the three ethnic groups, which are us," he swept his arm around the cavern, indicating him and his group of Boys, "the Red Indians, and the pirates. We all lay claim to some part of this land. The last area is where the dark masters live, in the very heart of the place. They are the middle point of the territories. We only venture there when we need to visit another territory urgently, if not everyone prefers to avoid the place. It's the most monstrous part of Neverland, ridiculously easy to get lost in there. You can see the souls of the damned dancing between the trees in the moonlight," he sounded perfectly serious.

"You explained the geography of Neverland to me," she interjected, impatient. "I was asking about the Hunt. I didn't ask for a map, though I suppose that's useful knowledge. What's the Hunt exactly? And why is it so important?" she folded her arms. She wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she was fairly certain that Len rolled his eyes – something she never thought he would do. It just seemed beneath his dignity, somehow. Perhaps she was just too used to his dogged patience.

"Fine. The Red Indians have the most prey, don't they? So once a month, they have the Hunt. It's basically this event they throw where all three groups gather and hunt wildlife. The winning group gets to keep whatever they killed as well as the prey of the other two parties. It's a time for dance and drinking and celebration, I think it's to commemorate the day the Red Indians first settled in Neverland or something, I don't know. My history was always a little shaky," he shrugged. "Does that answer your question?" this was said somewhat snappishly, and mutely she nodded. "Good. And just a word of advice for you," again, another sidelong glance. "Asking too many questions in Neverland can easily get you killed. You might want to learn when to keep your mouth shut," suddenly, he was standing right in front of her, one finger tipping her face up towards him.

Her breaths stilled as he tilted her head this way and that. "Curiosity killed the cat and all that. It'd be a shame to see you die just like that, if you happen to survive what's to come later," he released her, and she backed away, suddenly able to breathe again, heart racing. "Not everyone is as patient as I am," he concluded. She didn't know how to respond. How would he take it if she lost it and started screaming at him? She had not thought there was a chance she would die the day she came. It hadn't sounded like that. He made it sound like dying was a possibility, not a probability. In a way, she felt cheated, perhaps even more cheated than the children he was used to deceiving.

"Well then, what do you want me to do?" she finally asked, heart still thudding. There was a sense of danger around Len – something she was growing more and more aware of, the more time she spent in his presence. At first, he was just a strange boy who presented her with a temptation, the chance to leave everything she knew and doubted behind, to visit somewhere she thought might be better suited to her needs. But now, she saw death in his gaze. His blue eyes were unforgiving, and in that instant when he tilted her head she saw nothing but coldness in his expression. She realised that he was probably used to meeting people and leading them to their deaths. And she was no exception to that long, long line of faces and memories. He probably couldn't even remember all their names.

"Just stay quiet and stop bothering me," he said placidly. The calm was more frightening than if he had spat the words out at her. He paused. "I give you my vow that, if you manage to survive the encounter with the masters later, you can ask me anything you want. But don't ask anything of me until then," he looked away, turning away entirely from her. "I don't want to have any connection to someone I might never see again. I have no emotions left to spare for such a separation. There is no more time for grief," he said softly, more to himself rather than to her. It was the first time she saw him reveal even a hint of vulnerability, and she stood aside, thinking if she should approach him. "Don't come near me," he raised his voice, as though he read her thoughts, and she stood still.

His contradictory manner was stoking her anger. She had the exact same temper as her drunkard mother. "Then what?" she demanded. "You aren't allowed to show emotion? And I'm not allowed to know that you have a human side?" he stilled, but refused to look at her. She went on. "Bad enough that I've been sent here to die, bad enough that I can blame no one but my own stupidity in agreeing to come to a barren world! But stupidest of all," her voice softened, the frustration still simmering, "is that I actually thought that you were different! That you weren't like everyone else on Earth, judging me, keeping me silent and suppressing what they knew as the _truth_! You're the same as the rest of them, Kagamine Len. Just running away from what you know is reality. It's pathetic, it really is," she said scathingly, the same time Gumo returned with Rei and Nero. They heard the last few words of her statement, and stood there in surprise, wondering what was going on between them.

She couldn't believe that she said all that to him. From what she saw, Len was dangerous. He was strong and he had weapons. He was probably capable of killing her right there where she stood – to survive in such a barren place, how could he avoid becoming cold himself? But he did nothing to her. He just turned at the sound of the other three approaching and went over to them, as though she didn't exist – in a low voice, he whispered something to them, and she could not hear him. The three others cast her curious looks, even Nero, who had seemed wary from the outset, and they nodded and turned away, brushing past her to the vast network of passages she initially went through to get to this particular cavern. Then Len let out an audible sigh and turned slowly, meeting her gaze.

She wondered if the expression on his face was that of regret. He did not acknowledge her words in any way, as she thought he might have. "It's time to leave," was all he said. "We need to head to where the masters are before they awaken for the night. And I need sufficient time to journey to the Red Indian territory afterwards. Don't bother trying to escape," he added as the thought flitted through her mind, "better a quick death than a slow, lingering one. And the masters will know where you are, they will always know. They see and know everything. Running is useless," he brushed past her, and she flinched – again, at the brief contact, there was a jolt of static.

She saw from the sudden tension in his posture that he felt it too, but again he stubbornly refused to acknowledge anything. "Let's go," he said emotionlessly, walking into the unknown. She did not want to follow him, but she knew she had no choice in this matter, so after him she went into the darkness, into an unknown fate. She wondered if she would survive to return here afterwards.

Did she want to return here? Not really. But she knew she had nowhere else to go.


	5. Chapter 5

He knew she was scared, of him and of Neverland and of the uncertain fate she faced. Who would blame her? His knowledge of that fear was what made him hold himself back from snapping at her.

He was trying his best to be understanding, but it was the first time anyone had ever talked back to him, and he was shocked by that. Even Nero, the most aggressive of his Lost Boys, never dared to refute an order once given. It was almost pure instinct for him to react. But he knew she was scared, and if he argued with her she would just get more frightened and probably even angrier.

He didn't want to get into an unnecessary argument with her. He didn't have the energy for that sort of thing anymore, nor could he afford the emotional attachment that would come with an argument. To argue at all meant that you cared, and he didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to care about someone he had no relationship with. She was marked for now. If she were to ever break free of that mark, then he would work on emotional investment, but until then he would remain distant. She didn't understand why he was so cold and aloof, but he didn't expect her to understand.

They had been walking for perhaps an hour or so. She was making good progress, keeping up better this time – the nap she had while he was piggybacking her to his den must have invigorated her somewhat. The trees and branches didn't seem to be snatching at her so much either, and that raised little questions in his mind – why, was it because she was so much more energetic now, or was it because the forest was seeing her more and more as a native? He hoped it was the former.

The latter didn't make sense, not when she had been here for only a short time. It should take years, decades, for the forest to recognise your scent, your being, your aura. But she navigated the forest with an ease not unlike his own, and he dreaded to consider the possible reasons for that, so he pushed the questions to the back of his head and focused on staying on the narrow path.

To stray away from the path would lead to danger and quite possibly death. The path was safe…no, not safe, but _safer_. It was easy to get lost in the trees and foliage. And once you got lost, it was impossibly difficult to come out again, at least unscathed. You would be hurt, changed in some way, from the ordeal. It was hard to predict what the change would be, and that was why it was safer to just stay out of the place entirely, no matter how dire the situation. Nothing could be worse than the loss of sanity in Hell. It was bad enough to see monsters in reality – no need to manifest them in your mind too. He wondered if Miku still saw her monsters around her while she was in Neverland.

"We're here," he said shortly, drawing to a stop. She bumped into him, not anticipating his abrupt pause, and she cursed softly, instantly withdrawing from him. They were in the darkest heart of the forest now, where the trees grew tallest, branches clawing out into the cloudless sky, and the leaves that were shed were dark as an evil man's soul. It was going to be dusk soon – they had spent quite a while trekking through the forest as well as loitering around in his home. He swallowed.

Kagamine Len feared very few things. He had seen plenty, and in his youthful body resided a wise old soul. Many things were, at his age, just not frightening anymore. But there was always one thing, _one thing_ that would make the familiar sickening chill run down his back, bring back the horrible feeling of bile rising in his stomach, and that was the thought of encountering the lords of Neverland.

His Lost Boys, whom he had once sent on trips to their death the same way he escorted the girl now, had also never encountered the masters physically before, just like Len – hence the continued lack of awareness of their existence. It seemed that the masters could only speak directly to him, for the others always just reported a terrible darkness, so dark that they could feel themselves dissolving into it, not able to separate mind from body. They never heard anything or saw anyone. They would just suddenly feel a force pushing them back into the outside, into the corporeal world. It was the closest, all of them told him, which they had ever felt to a true out of body experience.

He always asked the Lost Boys, each time they came back shivering and traumatised to him, if they ever saw anyone. Despite his fear of the masters, he harboured a morbid interest in them. He wanted to know what they were, who they were. He thought that, if he ever managed to put a physical face to them, he might not fear them as much. Perhaps the masters knew what he was thinking, for they were careful never to reveal their selves to him. Or perhaps they simply did not have a physical manifestation and were nothing more than dark smoke, hissing and whispering.

He and the girl stood at the entrance to the unknown. It had been a few days since he last stood here. Usually, when he kept vigil outside, he remained there till dawn. He knew that if the child did not emerge from the cave by the time the sun crept over the horizon, it meant that the child would not return, and he would leave the instant the rays of light hit his face. In the beginning, he would mourn their demise. After countless little children had been sent to their fate this way, his well of emotion dried up. He could no longer grieve. It was almost mechanical now, and he had fooled himself into believing that these children were mere illusions, that they had never existed.

He glanced back at the girl, trembling a little behind him though she defiantly, stubbornly tried to hide it. She met his gaze and held it firmly, green eyes piercing his, and he resisted the almost overwhelming urge to look away. He felt the long-buried seeds of guilt wriggle to life, and he gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the unwanted emotion. It would just make his job a whole lot harder.

"So what am I to do now, Peter Pan?" she asked, her voice calm and steady, reflecting none of the fear that glimmered in her eyes. "The one who is immortal and ever young?" she added, almost in mockery. For once, he didn't feel an instant defensive reaction at the sound of such sarcasm. He didn't feel the urge to step over to her and wrap his fingers around her throat, try his best to intimidate her. He knew that nothing he did now could compare to what she would face later, and she was aware of that – so nothing he could do to her now, bluster or threaten, would scare her.

"Just enter that cave," he gestured towards the cave in front of them. It looked old – you could see the mosses creeping over the place, turning the grey stone into greens and oranges. The dark entrance was gaping, open in a wide yawn, and beyond was so dark that you couldn't see anything beyond the first three feet into the passageway. From here, you could feel the cold radiating from the cave. The air here was noticeably colder than in the rest of the forest. He could feel the goose bumps starting to form on his arms from standing directly in front of the chilly air.

She took a hesitant step forward, then looked at him again. "So this might be the last time I see you?" she asked softly, and it was with surprise that he noted the hint of vulnerability in her expression. She looked, in that instant, truly afraid, and he felt…he felt regretful, that things would have to end in this way. In another life, in another time, perhaps more could have been discovered about their relationship, about the strange static that shocked him sometimes when he accidentally brushed against her skin, but that was impossible in the circumstances they currently faced.

"Yes, it is. Here is where we say our goodbyes," he paused. "If you survive," he said in a low voice, "if you're one of the rare few who emerge unharmed from the cave, then you'll be the first Lost Girl. It would mean a lot to the Lost Boys to have another companion, a girl no less. So I'll wait for you here, outside. But not too long since there's a Hunt tonight. I don't know what goes on in there," he tilted his head towards the cave, "so all I can tell you is be quick. Surely if death awaits inside, a quick death is faster than one filled with hopelessness and lingering pain. I can only wish you luck now."

She looked down at the earth for a moment, before her gaze flicked back up to meet his once more. "You speak of the Lost Boys and what my survival would mean to them," she stated flatly, "but what would it mean to you?" he was taken aback at that question, and she stood there, folding her arms, waiting for a response. He got the feeling that if he didn't reply, she wouldn't be going anywhere. And he would be the one to suffer from the consequences if the masters got impatient.

"Well…" he thought desperately, racking his brains for the best response, "I'll let you know what it means to me if you can actually get out of there alive," he finally offered, knowing that he couldn't give her any other answer without it being a lie. She frowned, clearly unsatisfied, but she did not continue probing – perhaps some part of her could tell that he would not be pressed into saying anything else, or perhaps some innate fear of darkness kicked into action at the sight of shadows growing longer across the forest floor. Either way, she nodded stiffly and turned away from him, bracing herself for the cave beyond. He stood a little distance away, watching her close her eyes.

She marched towards the entrance with courage that he respected, given that she knew what was coming. All the children he brought here never knew that. He told them that this cave was a little secret portal that would bring them back to Earth, if only they were able to find their way to the end of the passage. He knew without doubt that this was a lie, but there was nothing else he could come up with to convince them to take this step into the unknown. His Lost Boys thought they were the unlucky few who, for some reason, could not make it out of Neverland. He never bothered to try and correct their assumptions. Better their disappointed illusion than the harsh, bitter truth.

He saw her flinch as she took her first step into the darkness, and it seemed to swallow her whole, like the darkness itself was a whole, sentient being. She stepped slowly, further and further, into the passageway, and the parts of her that were now inside the cave he could no longer see. The darkness was absolute, not even a silhouette of her could be observed. She seemed to pass through the dark wall into another world, and she did it so agonisingly slowly that he was starting to feel a little fidgety – but then eventually, she went in, and there was no sign she had ever existed.

He let out a quiet sigh and stood at the entrance, feet a shoulder width apart and his hands folded in front of him, beginning his lonely, silent vigil. In the distance, a lone wolf howled.

* * *

The moon was beginning to rise. He could see it through the gaps in the branches – it helped that there were few leaves attached to the topmost branches, making the canopy look barren.

He would leave before it was midway up to its highest point, he decided. That ought to give him enough time to get to the Red Indian territory if he cut through this area of the land. He had full navigation of the forest, even if he stepped off the beaten path. He didn't fear getting lost here. He just had to maintain an intensely focused concentration, and he would be perfectly safe in the night.

The wolves were howling now, and he knew that the festivities must have started amongst the tribes. He could see, in the distance, a great plume of smoke rising up into the night sky, high above the forest canopy. He shook his head, hoping that they wouldn't accidentally burn down any part of the forest – whenever the forest was destroyed in any way, it regenerated itself, and it would always overtake a little more of the surrounding land when it regrew, growing bigger and more powerful. It was best to keep it the way it was. The forest, in its present state, was more than powerful enough.

He continued to wait, patiently watching the moon rise. He was a patient person, having endured the same silent vigil so many times before. She, this girl, was the first person who had ever tested his patience. Maybe it was because he was unused to dealing with people her age. Sure, his Lost Boys were all older than the children he normally handled, but they had grown up here with him. They knew the ways of the land, they knew better than to question his authority. This girl had the knowledge and mentality of the child with all the demanding insistence of the aggrieved adult.

The moon was reaching its midway mark soon, and the girl still had yet to emerge from the cave. He wondered if it was right for him to leave now just to partake of the festivities. He knew that the Lost Boys would be fine without him…actually, he didn't know. He and his Boys always came the first in the Hunt simply due to their experience and proficiency in hunting – as boys, they were impatient and disliked farming or fishing, which were what the Indians and pirates preferred to do. They were excellent hunters due to their stamina and their gifts, and normally all he would have to do, if he missed a Hunt, was look forward to a feast when he got home. But this time Piko wasn't there…

Sure, even the three of them without him were a formidable force. But they would be severely outnumbered by the others. The pirates had as many as fifty among them, the Red Indians more than a hundred. Game rules stated that no more than ten could participate at a time, but during the Hunt people tended to cheat and no one ever noticed, for through the hubbub and cheering how was it possible to see the eleventh person racing through the forest, killing extra prey for their team?

He and the Lost Boys certainly needed the food, for reasons they would prefer not to share with the other groups. They already existed in a strange, tense mockery of harmony and cooperation. It would be better not to give any reason to tip this fragile balance. There was no time for him to settle a war between his Lost Boys and either of the other groups – or worse, both of them. He had more pressing matters to handle. Rei could be trusted to take over his position as leader whenever he left Neverland, but Rei was notoriously territorial and hostile and he would prefer that the dark boy did not remain as leader for too long. He dreaded to think of the consequences that would arise.

He looked up at the night sky again. The moon had crept further upwards into the sky, and with a considering glance at the cave entrance, he decided that he could afford to wait no longer. It was unlikely that the girl was going to emerge from the cave, he felt – not when she had spent so long inside already. The others who survived always came out almost immediately. He felt his heart sink in disappointment – he thought that she was different, that she was special, that her insanity would offer some buffer against her being used by the masters. He supposed he was wrong. There was nothing that special about her after all.

He turned, looking into the forest for the best shortcut he could take to the Indian land – he knew the forest, even though it tended to change and morph on occasion. He knew that northeast of the cave would bring him to a river, and that was the shortest way to the territory if he wanted to risk drowning in the rapid waters. If not, there was another way, westwards, that would take him in a long circle around to the pirate territory before it forked out into a junction, where one of the roads would take him to the Indian territory. But that road was long, tedious and would take three times the amount of time needed for him to take the northeast route. Which one should he take?

 _I can fly over the river – such a short distance shouldn't tire me – and that will remove all the danger of the route._ He immediately knew that was the best way to make use of his limited time, so he set off determinedly on this path, despite his dislike of flying unnecessarily coming to life within him. He had to. This was a necessity. It concerned the survival of himself and his Lost Boys – he had to get there as soon as possible, even if it was just to assure himself that they were leading the Hunt.

After a few steps though, he heard a loud, audible crack from behind him. He whirled around, instantly on guard for any possible danger, but saw absolutely nothing. His eyes narrowed – he was sure his ears had not been playing tricks on him, and slowly he retraced his route, going back to the entrance of the cave. The familiar dark and cold beckoned to him, inviting him inside, but he ignored the draw, focusing on discovering the source of the sound he heard just seconds earlier.

Probably an animal, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure. He peered into the darkness, but saw nothing, not even a deer, and was starting to wonder if he was imagining things though he was sure he _had not_. His hand was drifting to the dagger sheathed at his hip – a blade he knew how to use with a deadly, expert precision. There was no need for guns in Neverland. The true entities to fear could not be harmed with either cold metal or bullets. And blades were of more practical use here in Neverland than bullets ever could be. The pirates found out long ago that shooting him and the Lost Boys wouldn't kill them or even slow them down that much – it just made them even angrier.

He slid the dagger out, finding some comfort in the familiar weight in his palm, balanced in the most perfect, exquisite way. He was unsettled by how strange this was – strange things had not occurred to him in a long time. He thought he had seen the last of strange the day he first brought a child to the masters. He thought he had seen the last of strange the day he decided to give up feeling guilt.

There was a flicker of movement behind him, and he whipped around again, furious at himself for he had carelessly allowed himself to be sneaked up upon – but then, blinking, he realised he was looking at the cave entrance. And the flicker of movement he just saw was…was the girl, was Hatsune Miku, lying prone on the ground with her eyes closed, so peaceful looking that he almost thought that she was dead. He did, in fact, drop his weapon and kneel at her side, placing his fingers against her neck and wrist, trying to find a pulse. When he found it, he almost collapsed in his relief – she was alive, she was alive and she was out of the cave. Against all odds, she had survived.

He had lost hope that he would see her again the moment he saw the sun fully set, and the watery daylight turned to darkness. Her arms were folded across her chest, making her look like she was dead despite the gentle rise and fall of her chest – something he noticed only now that he had affirmed she was still alive. He was uncomfortable with her looking so at rest and pried her hands carefully apart, laying her arms at her sides instead. Now she looked more alive, like she was just taking a nap rather than being prepared for a burial. He rocked back on his heels next to her, just watching her curiously, watching the way her eyelashes curled upwards when her eyes closed and wondering what she was dreaming, if she was dreaming at all. What had happened in there?

For that moment, the Hunt was forgotten. All that mattered was that he had a new lost child to look out for, though child was not the right term to describe her – that he had not let down his Lost Boys in his promise to bring them a girl companion. And he was unspeakably curious about what had happened in the cave for her. It took so long this time, compared to the four others. Surely what she had seen or heard or felt was different from what they had? But to get his answers, he first had to wait for her to awaken, and there was no telling when she would rise from her dreams. He felt like he ought not to rouse her into wakefulness – better to let her enjoy her dreams while she could.

He continued studying her as she continued sleeping, her long hair curling out around her and framing her petite body while she lay there, defenceless. It was lucky that he had not left sooner. If she was released in this state, if she didn't awaken any time soon, she could easily become the prey of other animals who roamed these forests. He looked up at the moon again – it had reached the halfway point now. It would be time to go for the Hunt soon, he noticed. Should he bring her along? Would she continue sleeping, or would shifting her wake her up? He did not dare to try moving her.

He would give it a couple more minutes. There was no hurry. The others had to be winning by now, he was sure. They would surely understand – he just needed an excuse for his mysterious absence.

* * *

An hour later, she finally awoke. He knew it had been almost an hour – he was watching the moon move across the sky. There were only a few hours left in the Hunt before it ended, but if they left now he knew they would still make it in time safely. But she would have to follow him.

The very first thing she did upon awakening was reach out for him. Her arms lashed out, almost reflexive, and looped around his neck, her green eyes snapping open wide, an unreadable expression on her face. She did not looked scared or unnerved. She didn't even look expectant or happy or anything like that. She just reached for him and held him, and he held on to her, not knowing what to say. He never had comforted a girl after she left the cave before. No girl had ever left the cave.

"I…I heard them," she whispered after some time, and he stiffened – now this was interesting. This was the first time he knew of someone else hearing the voices he did. "I heard them speaking, hissing away in my head – _Kagamine Len has brought another, another untouchable one_ ," she mimicked in a raspy whisper, a surprisingly good imitation of the masters' reptilian voices. " _Why does he always bring the untouchables? Cast her out! We have no use for her_. I blacked out after that," she shuddered, arms still around his neck, "and the next thing I know, I'm out here."

"Did you see what they looked like?" he asked, too focused on what she was telling him to bother about the fact that her firm grip on him was beginning to suffocate him somewhat. There was a mildly uncomfortable pressure on his throat. "Did you see anything about them at all, anything to indicate their existence other than their voices?" she shook her head at that, looking vaguely pained, and he felt sorry at once that he had triggered that pain. "You don't need to force yourself to recall anything if you don't want to," he added, slowing himself down. She looked up at him, biting her lip, a gesture that seemed born out of frustration rather than anything else. "So you just heard them?"

"Just voices. I didn't get anything else, it was so dark and cold in there. It was difficult enough to convince myself to not just give in, collapse and freeze to death," she shuddered again, thankfully getting her hands away from his throat. "Whatever they are, whoever these people are, they sounded old and…well, evil," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "If there was any such thing as pure evil manifested, it was in those voices. I had never heard something so shrill, so callous before…and these are the beings who control Neverland?" she asked, directing the question at him. He nodded, and she closed her eyes. "Well, little wonder that Neverland is such a place now," she muttered, reaching down to push herself up into a standing position. He helped her hastily, catching her and preventing her from falling over as she stumbled while rising. "Thank you," she said stiffly.

"You asked me to tell you what your survival would mean to me, rather than just to my Lost Boys," he removed his hands from her arm, one of his hands resting languidly on the dagger he had sheathed, now tucked away safely upon his hip. Her eyes followed his movement, lingering curiously on the blade. "Well, I don't break my promises, so I'll tell you what it means," he ducked his head, avoiding her gaze as she stared at him, clearly curious. Truth be told, he had not thought about this answer. He had already forsaken her as dead, so he hadn't bothered considering a response.

"Yes?" she prompted, deciding that the amount of time he was taking to continue was too much. He coughed, stalling for time, tucking his hands behind his back, all in a desperate attempt to buy more time. Time, the one luxury Neverland could spare – yet at the same time, its rarest, more precious commodity. "I'm still waiting," she sang mockingly, scowling at him as for the fifth time, he coughed into his hand, interrupting the beginnings of what he wanted to say. He knew he could delay no longer, so he stood up straight and faced her. She watched him, expectant. He wondered what she was expecting from him. Some confession of love, an admittance of her importance to him?

Because if that was what she wanted from him, then she would be sorely disappointed. He felt no attraction to her beyond the physical shock that connected them whenever their skin brushed, that strange, unexplainable spark that jolted him and actually _hurt_. And even then, he wouldn't exactly call it an attraction. It was more of a connection, a reaction. But definitely not attraction. She was too skinny to really be appealing to him, her wide eyes in too thin a face, those same vacant, vague eyes capable of too much stormy decision for him to ever feel comfortable around her.

He met her wide gaze, those expressive green eyes that seemed to him like glass mirrors – reflecting himself and his expectations of himself back at him. He opened his mouth to speak. But at that very moment, before he could even say her name, a long, drawn-out howl pierced the night sky. It was the howl of a wolf, a pained cry that sounded almost human. It was beautifully mesmerising in its agony, the sound of both predator and prey. And he thought that he knew where it came from.

"There's no time, we'll save this for later, we have to go now!" he grabbed her hand urgently, ignoring the little sting of pain that sparked between them at the physical contact. She made to protest, obviously wanting to hear his answer, but he had no time to tarry. He had to get to the Hunt as soon as possible. They had already missed out on too much, and he would not miss this – he would not, he could not. "I'll explain the urgency on the way, but we need to move now," he yanked on her arm, and unwillingly she followed him. He led them into the forest, wondering if he should have taken the westward path away from the cave. He was, after all, dragging Miku along in tow, and she could not fly. They would definitely have some difficulties in crossing the river later.

But he knew he did not want to sacrifice all the extra time taking the safer, longer route through the pirate land. Miku would be safe with him, they would figure out a way. In the worst case scenario he would fly both of them over, though he'd really prefer not to use his flying abilities. Time was of the essence here, and he focused simply on bringing them forward through the thick foliage, ignoring the branches which scratched at his skin and clothes, ignoring Miku's protests and complaints. He only slowed down once when she let out a cry of what sounded like pain, but he felt her continue to move from behind him, and so he did not stop, picking up the pace. He would apologise to her later.

There was no time to spare. He had to see for himself what was wrong. The wolves never howled during the Hunt – they knew better than to attract attention to themselves like that. The plume of smoke he had observed earlier, from his vantage point near the cave, seemed to be thicker and taller than it was earlier. He could smell the faint smell of wood burning, the smell of charcoal. Something had gone deeply wrong during the Hunt; he could feel it in his very bones, and that terrified him. Not knowing what was going on frightened him more than being there himself.

Again, the wolf howled. It sounded like it was grieving. He wondered what it was grieving for.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagene Rei was, for once, feeling absolutely terrified.

He had never been really frightened of anything before. There was a little bubble of calm within him that sort of protected him from everything that could possibly be scary. In fact, that little sphere of calm he lived in was more frightening than anything else the outside world could ever throw at him.

But now, trapped up against one of the black trees which seemed to lean over him, branches curling in to wrap around him in a twisted mockery of an embrace – and the fire, the white-hot crackling fire which prowled slowly, surely towards him in the form of a wolf with hollow, vacant eyes and jagged flame for teeth – made him feel an emotion he had suppressed for a long, long time. Fear.

It was a pale imitation of what he knew and was familiar with, this wolf, but at the same time it was so horribly different that he was barely certain what he was looking at. The wolf was made of flame that burned with cold heat. It wasn't fiery red and orange as was typical of wildfires – it was blue and white, a silvery flame that reminded him of will-o-wisp. Its eyes, vacant holes in its head of flame, seemed to stare straight at him, seeing him, targeting him. He swallowed. He didn't have much longer before the beast – the apparition – reached him and engulfed him in a firestorm.

It was prowling slowly on purpose, he realised. He knew that the wolf was aware of his fear, and it sought to heighten that terror by making him painfully aware of just how imminent his death was. Or at least, pain and suffering, since he could not die. None of them could. Still, he was not one for giving up – he began looking around, searching for possible angles of escape. He would not stay trapped here, stuck to a tree helplessly while hunted down by a dumb beast. He would _not_.

His gaze darted to the left and right. The wolf was firmly in front of him, he knew it would be sheer stupidity to run directly at a being made of flame, so he considered his other options. To the left of the wolf, there were two trees, tall and sturdy. If he was fast enough he could scramble up the tree and away from the wolf…but then it would probably just set fire to his shelter. No, he needed a better solution. To the right of the wolf there was empty space, but the problem with that was that it was dangerously close to a sheer rock face, and he didn't fancy the thought of being trapped up against that wall. That would give literal meaning to the phrase, "between a rock and a hard place". He would prefer not to be in that position. He glanced back – no, there were only more trees.

There was only one way out then. He took a deep breath, preparing to charge out to the left of the wolf and run between the trees, hoping to find a way back to the Red Indian camp. Whose genius idea was it to set a fire wolf out in the open? He had never seen such a beast before, though of course he had heard the stories. They all heard stories of the strange animals that roamed the forest in the dead of night, always keeping out of sight of humans, always keeping to themselves. Very rarely did these animals reveal themselves to humans. To see one now…it had to mean something.

But what? It wasn't something he cared about at the moment, just a vague notion he had tucked away in the back of his head. He was more concerned with saving his own hide. Before he could take the reckless, possibly life-threatening charge that would lead him to the left of the fiery beast, he heard a voice call his name. He froze, the unexpected voice making the wolf pause in its tracks too, and again the voice called, this time impatiently. A stone fell on his shoulder, and he cursed.

He looked up, following the source of the noise. There, balancing on the thick, gnarled branch of the dark tree was Akita Nero, holding a fistful of pebbles in his left hand, looking like he was greatly enjoying himself. He bared his teeth up at the blond haired boy, a fearsome scowl on his face, and Nero shrugged, laughing. "Seems like someone's got himself in a fix," he teased, still playing with the pebbles in his hand. There was a warning growl, and he glanced away from Nero – the wolf had gotten even closer now. In fact, it was crouching low before him, getting ready to pounce. Any chance he just had of running away had just disappeared in a puff of smoke. He wanted to scream.

"Thanks for ruining the chances of me coming away from this perfectly intact," he growled up at Nero, backing himself up against the old trunk of the tree. The branches above him seemed to sway, whether protectively or warningly he could not be sure. Nero just laughed – a clear, ringing sound that carried through the night and made everyone look, even, for a moment, the flame wolf.

And in that one moment of distraction, he dashed out away from the tree, taking the wolf by surprise. The beast stood there for a moment, utterly stunned as he shot his way into the forest, hoping to put as much distance between himself and the beast as possible. But he need not have worried. With Rei gone, the wolf now turned its attentions to the other human – to Akita Nero.

Nero noticed the wolf's empty gaze fixing on him, and the smile slid away from his face, turning into his trademark scowl. "You want a fight, little beastie?" he breathed, the pebbles now resting in his hand, smooth as eggshells. They glinted silver in the radiant light of the moon. The wolf growled in response, baring teeth of flame, clearly prepared to hurl itself against the tree and burn it to ashes, taking Nero down with it. Nero took a step forward, prepared to fall down to the earth. "Then a fight you will have," he said simply, taking one pebble and hurling it forcefully at the wolf's head.

It struck dead centre, and the wolf flinched, letting out a whimper at the impact. It recovered quickly though and bared its teeth once more, now incensed by its moment of humiliation just now. Nero simply smiled again, a placid, serene smile. He leapt lightly down to face the wolf head-on.

Nero always enjoyed a good fight, and burned with an inner fire that was not unlike that of the wolf itself. He would emerge victorious, he always did. The beast had just signed its own death sentence.

* * *

"Did we win?" Gumo asked, rocking back and forth on his heels as he crouched next to their pile of prey, looking around to compare their mounds with the others. Theirs seemed pretty decent.

Rei was breathing heavily next to him, completely out of breath. He wondered what Rei was running from, since the boy rarely showed fear to anyone or anything – in fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he saw Rei frightened. He knew better than to ask, thinking that the dark boy's pride would still be stinging at the moment, and he didn't want Rei to lash out at him. "Maybe Nero will be back with something we can add to our pile, to make the margins wider," he added thoughtfully.

"Maybe Nero will come back half-dead, that idiot," Rei muttered, but Gumo didn't quite catch what he said so he did nothing other than shoot him a curious look. "I think we'll win even without Nero's catch," Rei raised his voice so that the other two groups could hear him. "I mean, we've always won and this year won't be any different, even without Piko," he continued. He saw several Red Indians and pirates casting him dark, disapproving looks, and secretly revelled in their anger. He knew they were going to win and that the others were just jealous. Everyone knew that the Red Indians and pirates cheated during the Hunt, yet they could not triumph over Len and his four Lost Boys.

Gumo looked around, concerned, ever the peacemaker. "We don't want conflicts between the territories, Rei," he warned, cautioning the older boy. "You know how Len will get if he knows that we're stoking up tensions with the others again. You got scolded pretty badly last time," scolding generally referring to Len inflicting corporal punishment on him. He considered them capable of handling corporal punishment, since they healed quickly and did not age or die or fall ill. Len could break Rei's legs and he would be able to run about in less than two weeks, fully recovered.

For all their healing prowess though, it didn't appear that they could regenerate lost limbs. Not that they had purposely tried to test that theory out, of course. Len just told them that they couldn't, and obviously none of them were stupid enough to test that out for themselves. Rei just shrugged and looked away from Gumo's earnest look, whistling softly to himself. He took stock of what they had so far – four deer, five rabbits and two sparrows. There were a few ducks too, it was probably Gumo who went out to the river to catch them since Rei and Nero had instantly made off into the forest. There was also a dead bear, which Gumo was very obviously avoiding looking at. Probably Nero then. Rei was not the kind to go after beasts bigger than himself, not when he had a choice.

The Red Indians had six deer, but other than that only one rabbit. The pirates had a substantial amount of fish, but very little woodland prey – all he saw was two measly sparrows, and he resisted the urge to laugh. Gumo was right, it was best not to stoke tensions between the territories right now, if not for the peacefulness of Neverland then at least to save his own skin. He didn't like it the previous time Len had beaten him up, and he would not like a repeat. It had been over a century ago, the last time he received corporal punishment, but he still remembered everything clear as day.

"Kagene Rei," a smooth, feminine voice called out. He looked around in the direction of the voice, already knowing who it belonged to – there stood Tiger Lily, whose real name was Megurine Luka, the princess of the Red Indians. He nodded stiffly at her, and the pink haired girl simply smirked. She was perfectly aware that all the Lost Boys were not too fond of her for the brutal way she treated Piko. "Where's your leader, Kagamine Len? He promised me the previous time he would be here for this month's hunt. We, my father and I, intend to show him something," her blue eyes gleamed darkly in the moonlight. She was fair as snow and lithe and beautiful, reminding him of the flower from which she took her name – slender, elegant, graceful. He might have felt attracted to her if he didn't know that beneath that calm poise, there lurked a dark heart filled with bitter poison.

She was, in a way, like himself, but Rei preferred to think that he was not as venomous as she was. His calm was a result of self-defence. For Luka, she retained her icy calm solely to intimidate others. He, on the other hand, could hardly care less what others thought of him as long as he was left alone to his own pleasures. "He's…away, he's on an errand," Rei responded vaguely. It was true that he was not sure exactly what Len was doing, though he was certain it had something to do with that new girl. He would prefer not to let Luka know for now that there was a girl joining their group.

"An errand?" Luka's eyes gleamed with curiosity. She looked like an eager wolf, and he didn't mean that in a good way. "What manner of errand? Is he leaving Neverland again?" she was pressing for answers now. He shook his head, not wanting to reveal anything more than that, and she scowled faintly, obviously displeased that someone was defying her. As the princess of the Red Indians, she very rarely had anyone saying no to her. "If it is not that, what could he possibly be doing?" she sighed, a mocking imitation of helplessness. It certainly wasn't making him feel any pity for her.

"Luka, that's enough," Gumo stood from where he was crouched, obviously having heard enough of their conversation. The green haired boy was, Rei admitted grudgingly, a little taller than Rei himself and more broad-shouldered too. Rei had always been built slightly, more lean muscle and sinew than height and bulk. He painted a more intimidating picture, certainly, and even Luka took a small step back away from Gumo when he moved to stand beside Rei. "We don't know where Len is and asking us won't help you. All we can tell you is that he's on an errand now, and if you have any message you want us to pass on to him we'll do that for you," the more he spoke, the more his initial confidence seemed to wither under Luka's piercing gaze. Rei would have laughed if doing so would not have implicated him in any way. Gumo was still too young to stand up to the princess, though he was certainly making an effort to do so. Rei appreciated that. Unfortunately, it was just too soon for him to speak up.

"What he said," Rei tried to prevent the humour from sounding in his voice, and Gumo shot him an aggravated look, hearing the suppressed mirth anyway. "If you have anything to say, Luka, you can let us know and we'll pass the message on to Len. You know what he says – anything that's our business is his business too, and vice-versa," he shrugged casually as Tiger Lily shot piercing daggers at him, eyes blazing with barely concealed frustration. She could stare down Gumo, but she certainly could not intimidate Rei. Rei was Len's second-in-command for a good reason. He was older than even Luka, and that fact hung poisonously between them, holding her spiteful words back.

"Fine," she growled. "It's about the Ceremony of the Blood Moon. It's the next Hunt and he needs to be there to participate, he knows that. He can't afford to miss the next Hunt because if he doesn't participate you'll be voided from the following Hunts forever, and I'm certain that a bunch of _growing boys_ like you would certainly need your food," she seethed out through gritted teeth. "Pass on the message if you value your food supply, and make sure he _comes_ next month," she stressed. "We let it slip last year when he missed it since he said he had truly important matters to settle but you know perfectly well that my father and I are not always so forgiving. We have warned you."

With a huff, the princess turned and stormed over to the pirates, probably to pass on the same message. The captain, Hook, had been lounging against a log the pirates had set up near their prey pile, and at Luka's angry approach he rose from the ground, a coolly quizzical look on his face. True to his name, there was a hook in place of his right hand, and Rei wondered if the pirates had the same immortality and accelerated healing the Lost Boys did. If they did, then here was absolutely certain proof that missing limbs could not regenerate. He wasn't sure if they shared the same healing powers though. After all, the pirates had not seemed to know, back in the past, that bullets were of little effect against the Boys. Meaning that bullets could still affect themselves, right?

The pirate captain was lean and lanky, noticeably taller than any of them. In his features lay the boyish charm of youth, but he was quite obviously an adult and perhaps slightly older in physical appearance than the Boys were. On Neverland, only the Lost Boys did not grow old. Both the Indians and pirates aged, faster than them but still not too fast – the Chief of the Red Indians was over a hundred years old but he seemed to be no older than his mid-thirties. And Tiger Lily herself was already in her fifties, though she looked like she was only eighteen. Rei remembered her birth, and her father's birth before that. He had been there.

The oldest tribe member of the Red Indians was a squaw known as Silver Winds. She was _old_ – there was no other way to describe her. Her wrinkles had wrinkles, her tiny black eyes lost in a sea of loose creases and folds. Her hair was so long that, even when the silvery mass was tightly braided, it still hung all the way to her feet. She stooped a little, her body held up by a sturdy black stick, fashioned from a fallen tree. Though she was younger than Rei, her physical appearance and her worldly stare invoked some strange feeling of respect for her. She was wise, and everyone listened to her, be it Red Indian or Lost Boy or pirate. There was something about age that seemed to remove you from territorial conflicts and disputes. He wondered if he would ever look that old. He hoped not.

The captain was now listening to Luka, his head tilted, quite obviously suppressing the urge to yawn. The princess was facing away from him so all Rei could see of her was her long mass of pink hair, which she had not bothered to braid today. There were three tall, elaborate feathers – it looked like they were eagle feathers – worn in a headband, placed delicately on her forehead, the leather strip itself decorated with twine and smaller feathers. It was her ceremonial crown, the mark of the princess. The pirate captain nodded lazily, then his blue eyes, noticeably darker than Len's and all the more mysterious for that, flicked up to meet Rei's gaze. He stared right back. There was the tiniest hint of acknowledgement, the captain smiled a little, then focused on Luka once more.

No one knew his real name, everyone just referred to him as Hook. His first mate, Kamui Gakupo, ambled over to join his captain, standing tall and intimidating in front of Luka. The two men were equally tall and for once, Luka seemed slightly intimidated. The gestures she made as she spoke were less aggressive now, Rei noted with satisfaction. That should stop her from becoming too arrogant, she always thought that just because she was the princess of the Red Indians she had the authority to boss the other groups around. Good for someone else to let her know she was wrong.

"I feel like I'll never be as…as old, mature, I don't know, as the rest of you," Gumo muttered from next to Rei, sulkily kicking at the ground with his feet. They were barefoot – they always went barefoot when hunting, to prevent their prey from hearing exactly where they were. Rei stared at Gumo's foot – younger than him, far younger, but covered in the same scratches and callouses as the rest of theirs were. He smiled, a small smile, and patted the boy on his shoulder. Gumo looked at him, startled, but didn't move away. It was most unlike Rei to show emotion or approval of any kind.

"Maybe, but you stood up against Luka just now and that's impressive enough. You'll grow. Besides, you're not the kid of the group anymore, that new girl is. Hatsune Miku," he mused, turning the name over on his tongue. "Hatsune Miku…you figure she knows everything about Neverland?" he asked Gumo, who had seemed to perk up at the sound of the girl's name. "Or do you think she was like us, blundering away into nothingness and knowing absolutely nothing? I bet the errand Len's doing is to bring her back to Earth, or at least try to," Rei sighed. "The same way he tried to show us the way back through that cave…hey," he glanced at Gumo, "did you ever see anything inside?"

Gumo had tensed at the mention of the cave, and now he shook his head. "Nothing," he murmured. "All I saw was nothingness and emptiness. I could hardly feel my way back to the entrance. And I have to admit that when I saw Len standing there, waiting for me, I felt even more relieved than I did when he told me I'd have a chance to return home. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I didn't find the entrance. Would I still be wandering around inside, starving but unable to die?" he turned away from Rei, looking longingly at the prey pile. "Not that food is an issue anymore. The pirates might win though, they have lots of fish," Gumo eyed Hook's area. The three groups had taken areas to rest in around the roaring campfire. It was a campfire like Gumo had never seen – huge, hot and powerful. He fancied he saw the shapes of animals forming in the grey smoke.

At that moment, Nero returned, expression almost triumphant. His clothes were singed, his cheeks smeared with soot. Rei and Gumo both turned to stare at him – he looked mostly unharmed, save for the makeshift cloth bandage he had tied around his left wrist. It was probably made out of a torn strip of cloth, pulled away from his shirt sleeve. The right shirt sleeve seemed shorter than the left one, confirming Rei's suspicions. He was honestly quite surprised Nero seemed to be so intact.

Then he noticed that Nero was carrying something on his back, and he went cold – as the blond haired boy swaggered his way over to their prey pile, his load passed by Rei and he saw, without doubt, the head of a wolf. It was not grey like most wolves were, nor was it white or dark brown. It was a ruddy red, somewhere between light brown and scarlet, and it had empty sockets in its head for eyes. It was smaller in death, nowhere near as impressive as when it had walked with flame and stalked its prey. He couldn't help himself – he dashed forward to intercept the boy. "You killed it?" he hissed.

Nero shrugged, the motion making the carcass slide off his shoulders, joining the prey pile. "It was about to kill me, what could I do?" he asked indifferently. "Get over it, Rei. Gumo didn't say anything when I added _that_ to the pile earlier," he gestured at the carcass of the brown bear, and Gumo still remained silent, not wanting to get into the standoff between his elders. "I wouldn't say anything either if you chose to hunt mine. Too bad there aren't any tigers in these woods, isn't it?" he asked, violet eyes piercing him, daring him to take the first swing. Rei gritted his teeth, seething mad. For all its ferocity, for all its willingness to harm him, he had not wanted to see the beast dead. How could he? It was, at the end of the day, still a wolf. Not a wolf like he knew, but one of them nevertheless.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He stood there, Nero waiting for his reply, and he had to do everything in his power to hold himself back and prevent himself from punching Nero in his triumphant face. Yes, he had killed a formidable beast, but a wolf? Did he have to do that? He bared his teeth into a snarl, but before anything else could happen, they heard a 'thump' – the sound of something hitting solid ground. All three of the Lost Boys turned towards the noise, Rei's anger momentarily forgotten as they faced the new possible threat. People could rarely sneak up on them, only when they were having moments of internal dissent – as they were at the moment.

It was Silver Winds, the oldest squaw of the tribe. She was carrying her trademark wooden pole, and again she used it to strike the ground, capturing their unwilling attention. "You have killed the _kararehe_. One of the sacred beasts," she croaked, voice low and gravelly. They could not help but listen to her – there was a ring of power and authority behind her words. "They will be stirred and angry, and they will seek out the killer! You," she used her staff to point at Nero, and Rei watched him step back a little, "they will come for you! The _kararehe_ are one and they know when one of their own has been killed. You hear their song," she paused, and again the pained howl of wolves filled the night sky. Something instinctively responded in Rei, but he suppressed the moment – not now, not here, not where all the others could see them. "They will come for you all, on the night of the Blood Moon!" she concluded passionately. And just like that, she turned around, shuffling her way back to the fireside. The three Lost Boys just blinked after her, shocked by her warning.

Nero broke the silence first. "She can't be serious," he said, voice direct and cutting. "And anyway it was in the name of _self-defence_ ," he stressed, looking long and hard at Rei. "If I hadn't killed that thing it would have flung itself at me. You really want me to be covered with third-degree burns all over my body, Rei? You know how long those take to heal," Nero just looked at him, almost patiently, until Rei grudgingly shook his head. "You know it was necessary. And even if Silver Winds is right, we can defend ourselves against a couple of animals. Even you, Rei," he said this almost warningly. Rei didn't answer, instead going to sit next to the wolf, his head between his hands.

Gumo looked almost sympathetically at Nero, but didn't remark on what he had done or said. "We should tell Len," he murmured instead, diverting attention away from whose fault this was, and who the killer of the animal was. What was it the old squaw had referred to it as? The _kararehe_ …sacred beasts apparently. He did not know what was so special about this wolf, though he knew from the vacant, empty eye sockets that this was no normal forest wolf. And with Rei and Nero talking about fire and burns, this dead animal had probably been able to manipulate fire in some way. He dreaded to consider the possibilities if all of its kin came to their territory one night, catching them unawares.

"He'll just scream at us all for getting into more trouble," Nero answered gloomily. "Or he'll scream at me, specifically. I killed the thing after all," he added, in a rare moment of introspection. "I think it'll be worse with that new girl, Miku, hanging around. If Silver Winds is right and they will all attack on the night of the Blood Moon, we have only little more than a month to ensure we have enough defences and to protect her. A girl like her won't be able to master self-defence in a month," Nero concluded, and Gumo thought that he was probably right. Len was the clear leader, Rei was the cunning, manipulative politician, but Nero had always been and still was their best strategist. "I can't help but think that she's probably spouting off nonsense in her old age, but she isn't, is she?" Nero added, shooting a look at the silver haired squaw. She was seated by herself next to the campfire.

"I don't think it's just nonsense, she seemed perfectly sane to me," Gumo admitted. He could not deny that he was still a little upset that Nero had killed a bear, but he understood that it was for prey and that when it came to hunger, it didn't matter what was killed. They would eat whatever they could catch to prevent themselves from starving. There was nothing worse than literally starving but being unable to die – they had gone through a period like that before, just fifty years ago. There was a long period of drought in Neverland and that had quickly translated to no prey. It had taken all their mental capacity to prevent themselves from turning on each other and becoming cannibals. The only reason they managed to survive was because Len would always bring back items from his trips to Earth, and it was with those foodstuffs and water that they managed to tide the crisis.

Gumo was the weakest link in their chain back then, scarcely twenty, mentally weak and unable to suffer the way the others could. They had given him the food and drink first, and even now, plenty of allowances were still made on his behalf. He wished that the others would start treating him like he was capable of looking after himself. He would hit his first century in another…three decades or so? Minus a couple of years, maybe. He wasn't very sure exactly how old he was anymore, no one really kept track of time here except for him, and even then he never followed a very accurate calendar.

"Well, that's wonderful," Nero's words dripped with sarcasm. "That's great! I basically caused a bunch of flaming wolves to plot to destroy us all next month, that's fantastic," he shook his head. "Len is going to kill me," he moaned, folding his arms and closing his eyes as he sat stiffly down on the ground. Nero feared nothing and no one except for their leader. There was so much about Kagamine Len they didn't know, even after years and years of being his only companions. Sure, he told them secrets, but he didn't talk about how he could fly or why he always went back to Earth. He didn't talk about the dark thoughts that seemed to flit through his mind and darken his eyes. None of the rest of them dared to ask. And Nero feared Len because Len was the one person in the whole of Neverland who could not be intimidated by him, who would triumph over him in battle.

"We'll vouch for you. You didn't know better," Rei suddenly spoke up, voice sounding quite dead. They both shot around to look at him – the dark boy was now rising from the ground next to the wolf, clearly having mourned enough. "Len would be more concerned about fortifying our den than punishing any of us. He wasn't here tonight anyway – he can't blame us for anything that went wrong. We'll ask him to find out if what Silver Winds said is true first, though. There's no need for any of us to fall unnecessarily into panic," he continued, voice still flat. Rei was the second oldest in their group, maybe three centuries younger than Len. The gap between Len and Rei was the biggest in terms of age, for Nero and Piko were mere decades apart. The next biggest gap was between Gumo and Nero – roughly 125 years or so. And then the next gap would be between him and Miku.

"Where is Len anyway?" Gumo decided to ask. Len had told them he would not miss this Hunt, after all. He had not been sure if he was bringing Miku but he said he would not miss the Hunt. "He said he would come, the Hunt's ending soon. One more hour maybe," Gumo ran his fingers through his hair, slicking his fringe back away from his face – a familiar nervous gesture he had since he was a child. "Do you think we should go back into the forest, hunt more while we still can?" he asked the others.

Rei shook his head. "No point, all the prey will be hiding by now. This wolf," he tilted his head to the carcass, and an expression of pain flitted across his face, "it lunged out at me in the middle of the forest and chased me around for half an hour. Any prey in the area would have been scared away," his gaze fixed on empty space. "We should win anyway," he continued darkly. "Fish don't count as much as woodland prey, and the pirates…still only have two sparrows," he observed, looking at the heap. The pirates were all cheering and dancing now, following the beat of the music the Red Indians had started on their instruments. They had always been the most carefree during the Hunt, probably because they were never low on food. They had never starved the way the Lost Boys had.

"Red Indians caught two more rabbits though," Nero observed, directing all their attention towards their area. True enough, the pile of food in their territory had increased slightly, making them feel a little nervous. Tiger Lily sat in front of the pile, and noticing their stares, she wriggled two fingers at them, a gloating smile on her face. Gumo thought she was beautiful, but he really could not stand her attitude. She treated men like slaves. And there was the way she acted with Piko. She was the reason why once a month, Piko came back to the den after a night away, covered with indescribable injuries. At first, Gumo did not understand why. The older he got, the more he knew, and the more he realised how despicable it was – to treat someone like that when they had not given permission.

"They might win," Gumo spoke up, though it was with a heavy heart that he said those words. Of course he wanted to win, he wanted them all to win, but it was difficult to hunt when it was just the three of them. They were excellent hunters, but it took time to track their prey, and if what Rei pointed out was right, there was no prey left to track anyway. He wondered if the wolf they just killed, this _kararehe_ , would be considered prey, or if the Red Indians would not count the body of a sacred animal. With the wolf, they were a definite winner. Without it…they might well lose this month. There was a kind of humiliation in losing too, for the Lost Boys had been the winners every month ever since Nero joined them and they made three. With four, their victories were even more certain. Gumo would hate to lose now – something in him would always wonder, if Piko were to take his place instead in the Hunt, would they have won? And that was a poisonous thought.

"Don't worry," a new voice rang out behind them, and they all turned around – there stood Len, carrying two carcasses of deer on each shoulder, and the teal haired girl behind him, looking grumpy and annoyed, scratches all over her face and arms. She was carrying a dead rabbit, and she looked faintly disgusted, holding the bleeding white carcass a good distance away from her. Len slung the deer down onto their pile and, unceremoniously, grabbed the rabbit from Miku and dumped it on the deer too. Gumo couldn't resist looking at Luka – her gloating expression had turned into one of outrage, and he looked away from her, resisting the urge to burst out laughing. It was a bright spark of humour in a sea of gloom. Nero and Rei were still worrying about the possible _kararehe_ attack.

Len immediately picked up on the mood. "What's wrong, what did you all do this time? Rei?" he asked first, but then he saw the animal carcass that was next to the dark boy and saw the look of grief on Rei's face, and decided that now was not the best time to ask him anything. "Nero?" he asked next, but Nero just let out a soft groan and shook his head, looking more exasperated than despairing. Len narrowed his eyes but did not press for information. His gaze landed on the carcass of the bear, and his brow furrowed in concern, but still he turned to Gumo. And still he asked.

Gumo swallowed. He was always the peacemaker between them, the one who kept the silence and harmony in a group of four hot-headed boys – no, three, Piko was not impatient and fiery like the rest were. He hated how that usually made him the bearer of bad news. "We killed…we killed one of the sacred beasts," he swallowed again. His mouth was dry, and swallowing hurt. He pressed on, Len's attention now fully focused on him. "And Silver Winds said…she said next month, on the night of the Blood Moon, its kin will launch an attack on us to get revenge for their dead," he concluded quickly.

Len said nothing for a while. He just crossed over to Rei, past the pile of dead prey, and crouched down next to the wolf's body. Rei cringed at the nearness, but did not move away. He seemed ready to collapse where he stood. "This one? This was the sacred animal you killed?" he directed the question at Nero, already knowing that there was no way Rei or Gumo would have killed a wolf. Nero nodded, looking almost guilty – Len could bring out that rare emotion in Nero – and Len sighed, shaking his head. Nero looked like he expected a punch, but it never came. Instead, Len walked right past Nero and stood once more at the head of the circle. The three boys and Miku all stared at him.

Len looked grim. "Silver Winds is right," he announced. "The _kararehe_ will attack next month, on the day of the Blood Moon. That will give them strength. We need to start fortifying our home as soon as possible, the flame wolves are one of the strongest of the sacred beasts," he turned, shooting Miku a long, unreadable look. She swallowed. "And someone needs to train her, show her how to fight as soon as possible," he continued calmly. "Nero, you're in charge of that," Nero nodded. Len moved on to each of them methodically. "Gumo, you and Piko will help to reinforce the cave entrances with wood from the forest. You know where the axes are. Be careful when chopping, the trees do not take kindly to being cut down. Piko should be fully healed by tomorrow. And Rei…" he paused. Rei looked up, amber eyes now blank and hard. The grief was gone. "We need to discuss a plan," Len finally said. "You know wolves best. Tell me how they'll attack us. I _need_ to know, Rei."

Rei looked hesitant, but finally he nodded, and Len clapped his hands once – a sudden, shocking sound. "Then that's it, if this is done we should be able to properly defend ourselves by next month. It's no big deal, remember that time a horde of bears tried to kill us a couple of years ago?" a crooked smile crossed his lips. "So these animals are beasts of fire. Nothing much. Remember that we can't die anyway, at most we'll be in severe agony for a few days but after that, we'll still survive. And we will continue on our business as always. Nero, it's time to conclude the Hunt, all the participants are back. You go to Tiger Lily," his face showed distaste at the name, "and tell her we're ready for comparison. I'll come with you, she looks upset," he made to follow Nero to the campfire, but then he stopped and turned around, glancing at Miku and Gumo. "Gumo, give her a crash course on what's going on, she looks confused," he said dryly. True enough, she did, a frown on her face as she tried to follow what was happening. "Rei can…Rei can continue mourning," Len sighed softly.

With that, the two blond haired boys walked briskly off to the campfire. Miku settled herself on the ground next to him, her long teal hair draping on the hard baked earth. Her green eyes were glassy as she looked at him, occasionally turning to stare at Rei, who had walked to the edge of the forest and was now staring longingly into the trees beyond. "My name is Miku," she offered by way of introduction. He nodded and smiled, wondering if it was right to bring someone else into the miserable life they all faced, especially now that there was imminent danger. But it was a choice he and the rest of the Lost Boys had made, so they would ensure her safety. It was their responsibility.

"We know. Len told us your name before he left the caves with you. He realised you knew our names, but we knew not yours," he looked away for an instant, into the dancing flame of the campfire. The smoke was writhing now – he fancied that in the smoke, he could make out the shape of a dying wolf. "What made you decide to come here to Neverland? It's a hellish place. We fight to survive here. If I had a choice, if I could go back all these years and rewind, make another decision, I never would have come," he admitted. He found friendship and brotherhood in Neverland, but it was at the expense of everything he knew and held dear to him back on Earth. There was a bitter sense of regret in what he said – he threw everything away in a childish little fit of pique.

Miku just huddled up beside him, her arms wrapping around her knees. Her gaze had not moved from him the whole time he spoke, though he found he could not look her in the eyes without feeling like he was guilty of some terrible secret. She had large, vacant doll-like eyes that reminded him of the scary porcelain dolls they had in the past, those collectors' items. He never understood the appeal. His mother loved dolls, and she always brought him to doll shops when she bought a new one. He would see, in the glass panels, rows and rows of china dolls, all looking at him with that empty, knowing expression, as though they knew all his bad thoughts and sins. He hated them.

"I don't know," she answered, voice chiming like bells, or at least he thought that was what bells sounded like. It had been such a long time since he heard bells. "I came here for a chance to run away from my life. A chance to be whoever I want to be. A chance to just…stop living for a while, I suppose," she shrugged. She sounded uncomfortably like Len. Gumo knew that, no matter how long it was since that day, he would always be able to remember what Len said to him, the words that made him leave everything behind and seek a respite with the flying stranger. He shuddered.

"Sometimes, the things we hope for aren't always what's best for us," he replied simply, and she said nothing, his words falling into silence. Together, they looked at the campfire, watching Len, Nero, Tiger Lily and Hook gather together to announce the winner. It was the Lost Boys again, as always, but for once Gumo did not feel the thrill of victory running through his veins. Instead, he glanced at Miku, who seemed entirely absorbed in the proceedings, and wondered how they were supposed to train this girl, this frail, young girl, to defend herself from wolves and fire within a month. Even Gumo and Nero needed more than a month. It had taken years and years and years.

For once, he felt a heavy sense of responsibility burdening his shoulders, and wondered if this was how the others felt when he first came to join them – and, when they looked at him, did they still feel this same suffocating sense of duty? Did they ever wish he had never come to join them?


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you all nocturnal?" she asked bluntly, suppressing a yawn as she did so. Gumo turned to look at her, obviously bemused, and she repeated her question. She was so tired – other than those quick naps she took, she had not slept properly the entire day. The others all seemed perfectly fine.

Len was leading the way in the distance, weaving his way through the forest with expert ease. Nero and Rei were carrying their prey between them. Everything was all put in a large net, courtesy of the pirates, and all the prey had been dumped in it minus the fish, the bear and the wolf. Len's claim was that they, as Lost Boys, did not eat fish, and the other three looked happy to comply. The pirates seemed pretty happy too about being able to keep their fish, so it was a win-win situation for all.

The net was attached to two sturdy poles, and the two boys were trudging a little way behind Len, carrying their haul – quite a few deer, some rabbits and four sparrows. The deer carcasses filled up the net so completely that she couldn't quite tell how many there were. She wondered if she would have to start eating such meat in time to come, and wondered how long it would take for her to get used to it. She was actually faintly repulsed by the idea of eating little rabbits and sparrows.

"Well, we stay up and move around whenever we want to," Gumo answered her. He was walking with her at the very end of the procession, for which she was grateful. So far, Gumo seemed like the only genuinely nice person out of the entire group. "We tend to move around more at night, though. It's when all the prey comes out. Besides, in Neverland, nights are long and days are short. It'd make more sense for us to finish our activities at night…more time, you see," he yawned as he said this. Faint rays of light were piercing their way through the dark forest, an indication of the imminent sunrise. "I can't wait to get back and sleep," he muttered, "I haven't felt this exhausted in ages."

At his words, she started thinking. If she was right in assuming that earlier, each cavern had led to one Lost Boy's room – for there were five entrances from the open-air cave, she remembered – then that meant...there wasn't another room for her. Where would she sleep if so? She hoped that Len had a plan. Surely he had a plan, for another lost child could have joined them at any time, right? She sincerely hoped he didn't intend to make her sleep on the floor. Her body was still aching and bruised from all the time she had spent lying on hard surfaces, and she hoped for a proper bed.

Through the tiredness though, a feeling of unease nagged at her. There was the encounter with the masters Len had described earlier. Entering their domain made her feel, in some way, tainted – hearing their voices was even worse. They were cold and slithery, like reptiles yet not, a strange amalgam of human and hissing snake. Their words slunk in like poison through her ears. She still remembered what it felt like when she heard their voices – it made her heart stop, their bitter venom so _appalling_ that she forgot, for a moment, how to breathe. She hated them at that very instant, dreaded feeling fingers reaching out to touch her, dreaded knowing what they looked like.

Luckily she was kept in darkness the whole time and they never tried to touch her, so she was cast out of the cave in unconsciousness and when she woke up, she only saw Len. There were no mutant hybrids of snake and man awaiting her, and she was grateful. She hoped she would never have such an encounter again, because she knew if she did she would drive herself crazy with disgust. It wasn't just what Len had told her about the masters. Something about their voices themselves made her feel like they were oily and filthy. If their voices had been physical touch, she would have scrubbed away at herself until her pale skin turned raw and bleeding, just to get the sliminess of their voices off her. She had never been prone to exaggerating, and she did not exaggerate either in this matter.

Another thing was the Hunt she observed just now, or at least the end of the Hunt. The dead wolf, Rei's haunted anguish, Nero's suppressed anxiety, Len's too-calm speech and Gumo's helplessness – they were all combining to form a noxious mixture of fear and worry within her. From what Gumo told her, a month from now a pack of wolves made of flame would hunt them, for Nero had killed off one of their brothers and they would not forgive them. The fact that they were made of fire worried her the most. Wolves, she was confident the Lost Boys could handle. Fire was a lot harder, given that they lived in the middle of a forest. What if the forest got burnt down? They would have a problem.

For one thing, she didn't even want to begin imagining what would happen to their prey if the forest surrounding the den was destroyed. And, from what Gumo told her while they were walking – she had asked why no one thought of burning down the forest since it was the source of Neverland's foul power and curse – he told her that whenever part of the forest was destroyed, it would rapidly regrow and become even stronger, thicker, more powerful than it was originally. That's why they were careful to not harm the area. Even when they chopped down trees for firewood, Gumo explained, they had to leave a substantial part of the tree standing. They couldn't cut any lower than the midpoint of the tree, otherwise the tree would regrow and become taller and stronger.

At midpoint, the tree would remain neutral. It would not grow, but it would still be alive, and that was obviously the best way to keep the forest – alive and stagnant. "The forest doesn't see you as a foreigner anymore, does it?" she asked Gumo, curious about how long it would take for her to be regarded as a native. She remembered asking Len this question before, but not receiving a straightforward response – he had said something about…centuries? But that couldn't be possible, right? Len was only twenty, at most. And Gumo…maybe eighteen? The branches didn't seem to be clawing away at him either, the way they still did to her. It wasn't as bad as in the morning though.

"No, it doesn't," he answered matter-of-factly. "It takes a while to get used to. Those cuts look pretty bad," he pointed to the ones on her forearms, and she glanced at them – she had not noticed the wounds there before, but they were rather shallow cuts. They only looked bad because there was dried blood crusted around them. "You should go back and wash the wounds to prevent infection. Actually," he paused for a second, studying her face, "you're beaten up pretty bad. Did Len drag you through the forest or something?" he looked perfectly serious, as though Len was capable of doing such a thing. And she knew he was, because he had done that exact thing to her.

She nodded, and he winced. "He's never really thought about other people before," Gumo said apologetically, as if saying sorry on behalf of his leader. She found him to be very polite and a good deal more considerate than Len was, and she felt that she liked him. He was certainly likeable and had a pleasant disposition. "If you want, there's a healing kit in my room. I'll bring it out for you later and help you dress your wounds. We usually save it for Piko, but…Piko will heal," Gumo shrugged, "and I'm pretty sure you'll need it more. You don't have our high metabolism and healing yet. It'll take a long while for that to build up," he explained, noticing the look of puzzlement on her face.

She nodded in understanding, and decided to ask some questions about the other people she had seen at the Hunt – the Red Indians and the pirates. "Tell me more about the others we saw," she saw something flit across Gumo's face, so quickly that she almost thought she was imagining it, but she knew she had not – and then suddenly he was beaming at her, enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge. "Especially that pink haired girl and navy haired man, those others," she added as an afterthought. Those were the other two people who had been with Len and Nero at the fireside.

"Oh, the pink one is Megurine Luka. She's the princess of the Red Indians. Her tribal name is Tiger Lily. Tiger Lily is more of a position than a name though, to tell the truth," Gumo explained. "They have this thing where important people in their tribe are named after…objects of Nature, I guess? Their soothsayer is known as Silver Winds. The princess is called Tiger Lily. The king is simply known as the Panther," he pushed his way through two quivering ferns, holding them apart for her so she wouldn't have to force her way through. She nodded at him in thanks. "We refer to Luka as the princess since we're used to that. Within her tribe, they call her Tiger Lily. She's not someone I would recommend getting close to," he cautioned, "she's the reason why Piko's always hurt so badly."

She blinked, startled by that. She had not given much thought to how Utatane Piko was injured – she assumed that, given they lived in such a dangerous environment, being hurt was nothing new. She never thought it would have something to do with a girl. The more she thought about that, the more she realised what Piko must have been doing with Tiger Lily, and she felt her face warm just thinking about it. It wasn't that she didn't know what sex was – just that thinking about it still made her feel awkward. She never openly discussed it with anyone back home, after all. Everyone thought she was insane, including her own mother. Miku was not exactly what one would call a social queen.

She wondered whether Piko had wanted to be injured, or if Tiger Lily had hurt him against his will. If it was the former, then the silver haired boy was more masochistic than he initially appeared. If it was the latter…then yes, perhaps it would be a good idea to steer clear of Tiger Lily. The princess had not seen her yet – Gumo had carefully angled Miku so that she would be difficult to see from the campfire, and anyway the princess was paying far more attention to Len than to the Lost Boys.

The navy haired man though, he had seen her. Gumo did not appear to be concerned about the man, and after a few seconds of outright staring, the man's attention returned to the proceedings at the fireside, though he did look in her direction every once in a while. "The man is Hook, he's the captain of the pirates," Gumo continued. "No one really knows his real name…we all call him Hook because, well, he has a hook in place of his right hand. I don't know how he lost it, and neither do Nero or Piko or Rei. I think Len might know, but he never told us," he shrugged. Gumo had a pleasant voice to listen to, and he seemed to enjoy sharing his knowledge. She liked listening to him. It made a nice change from Len's constant secrecy, though she hoped that his furtive behaviour might change now that she had officially survived the masters and was a part of the lost children.

"He doesn't look that much older than you all are," she observed. "Like he's in his early twenties. How young to be a captain," she looked around, for Nero and Rei had stopped before them and she figured they were probably close to the den now. She wouldn't know, since the first time she went to the Lost Boys' home she was asleep the entire journey. It was interesting to see the cavern network from aboveground. "I've never seen the outside of the den before," she shared with Gumo, who tilted his head, listening to her intently. "Are we nearby? Why did the others stop?"

"We're pretty close," he answered. He made no comment on the fact that she had never seen the outside of the caverns before, despite having visited the very heart of the network yesterday – she assumed it would be yesterday, since today was already a new day. The sun was steadily creeping up the horizon, chasing away the shadows with what weak light it could provide. "Nero and Rei stopped because it's going to be a hassle to transport the food underground – they have to determine which route would be the best to take and who would go underground first. It's something they've never been able to agree upon," Gumo sighed. She took a few steps closer to Nero and Rei, who had appeared to be talking to each other from a distance – now that she was closer, she could hear the heated words of argument, and she winced as Rei spat a particularly vicious insult at Nero.

"Okay you two, stop it," Len said tersely, appearing from out of nowhere to break up the fight. Nero and Rei turned to look at him, both of them breathing heavily, as though they had run a marathon. "Rei, I know you're still upset over the wolf but that's really no excuse to call Nero a 'bastard dog who only knows how to roll over and lick his own balls', that's really too much. Apologise to him, even Nero doesn't deserve that insult. And Nero, seriously, if you dare to take the net and whack Rei over the head with it to give him concussion I will break your right leg. You two both follow me, Rei coming in first. I'll decide on the best route since neither one of you can be bothered to grow a brain," their leader sneered at them, looking absolutely disgusted. Both boys fell completely silent.

Finally, Rei muttered an apology, which Nero accepted in a similar mutinous fashion, and then they both followed Len, seeming to disappear slowly into nothingness. She blinked and followed after them, wanting to see where they went – they were there just moments ago, and then they started moving and moments later they were gone. She didn't see any entrance to the caves anywhere, no matter how hard she looked. All she saw around her were ferns and trees, dead grasses and leaves.

Gumo appeared to be entertained by her efforts to find the den entrance. "You're looking at all the wrong places," he came to stand beside her, a smile curving his lips. He looked like he was having fun at her expense, but she was too curious about where the entrance was to take offence. "Try looking at the ground. Look for the fern plants especially," he continued, sounding a little more serious now. She did as he told her to, looking around for fern plants – there were five large bunches of them in the vicinity, but no sight of any cave entrance anywhere. She walked over to the first fern, parting the leaves carefully, but still she saw nothing but dirt. She wrinkled her nose, annoyed.

"It's okay, I didn't know where they went the first time either," Gumo finally relented after she turned to give him a look of utter confusion. "See here?" he walked over to the fern plant furthest from the one she was standing at, right at the base of a tall, wide tree. The tree looked like it had grown for centuries and centuries – it was so thick and sturdy. As characteristic of the trees in Neverland – this was something she had noticed after spending so many hours in the forest – there was a wide circle on the trunk, this one stretching up from the base of the tree to somewhere around the midpoint of the tree. It was a perfectly circular hole, pitch black. Again, it reminded her of an open mouth, wide open in a silent scream – for what? Mercy? Absolution? She didn't know.

He stopped right in front of this gaping black circle, running his fingers almost lovingly around the rim, across the bark of the tree. She did not know how he could stand to touch it. The trees in this forest were alive, and they seemed to her to be quite clearly malignant. "Look here," he whispered, and she had to move closer just to hear what he said. He let his hand drop down from the bark towards the hole, and her eyes widened in surprise as his hand slid into the darkness, right into the dark circle in the tree. He caught her eye and grinned. "Shocking, isn't it?" he asked conversationally, as though his hand had not just passed into solid wood. "I was too the first time. But of course, now it's nothing new to us. You just need to remember which tree it is. There are others like it, they're sort of…portals, and the other portals don't always lead into nice places. Let's enter, shall we?"

Hesitant, she let her hand reach out towards the dark circle too, and Gumo watched her, allowing her to explore the hole. She shivered slightly as her hand passed into the wood – a chill ran down her skin, the kind of shiver that struck deep into the bone. It was a passing thing though, and shortly after her hand felt totally normal again, save for the fact that her wrist was now attached to nothing. The darkness cut her hand off, and she wriggled her fingers experimentally – she could feel her fingers move, but she couldn't see anything beyond her wrist. She stared at Gumo in wonder.

"Shall we enter?" he asked invitingly, and slowly she nodded, knowing that she wouldn't be harmed if she passed through this entrance – she had gone into the Lost Boys' den before, after all, just not while conscious – but feeling perturbed by the idea of passing through a solid tree, nevertheless. "After you," he pulled his hand out of the tree and swept into a shallow bow, and she felt a little smile tug on the corner of her lips – it seemed like, despite being isolated from the rest of humanity, Nakajima Gumo still had memory of his manners. His green eyes glinted with mischief.

She took a deep breath and stepped carefully into the circle, feeling the icy chill ripple through her entire body. She floated in darkness for a while – it seemed like she was falling, falling gently down. She didn't know how long she spent just floating. It was so dark that there seemed to make no difference whether or not she closed her eyes. "Hello?" she called out into the darkness – after a few seconds, a voice returned her greeting, but she listened and realised it was just a faint echo of her own voice, bouncing off some distant surface back towards her. It was all very strange, and she wondered if she ought to be frightened. She felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

It could have been seconds, it could have been hours, she didn't know – she just fell and fell, or at least she assumed she was falling because the movement was so slow that she almost felt like she was stationary throughout, suspended in mid-air. Finally, her feet gently touched solid ground and she took a deep breath, flailing her hands around, trying to hold on to something solid. It was still dark, but she could walk now, she could feel the ground beneath her. Shakily, she took a step.

Once she moved, she had to throw her hand up to shield her eyes – at the movement, torchlight burst into her vision, flickering orange flame illuminating the cave she was in. She was in a chamber of sorts, one that led off into several different routes. Quite obviously, she didn't know which one to take, and she didn't want to step into any of the entrances and risk getting lost here, so she decided to just wait for Gumo to arrive in the chamber. It didn't take long – less than a minute later, she heard the soft fall of footsteps behind her, then Gumo popped into view, whistling to himself.

"I always like the fall," he said cheerfully, noticing her questioning look. "It's my favourite part, it actually makes me feel like I can fly. It never fails to excite me," he stuck his hands in his pockets, and that was when her gaze was drawn to the leather sheath strapped to his hips. It seemed like every Lost Boy, Len included, had a dagger of his own – in Nero's case, he had three. She wondered if she would have one of her own in time to come. Would she learn how to use it? She couldn't imagine herself being a fighter. She had never been very fast or strong. But she knew that if she wasn't capable of basic self-defence, she would be nothing but a burden upon the other five.

"Well, I don't like it very much," she answered honestly. "I don't really like the dark…it brings back bad memories," she murmured, not revealing any more on the topic. He nodded, not probing any further, and led her down the middle passageway. The passage was familiar, with the smooth stone walls and the flickering torches lining the route, and they walked in comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, her curiosity overcame her, and she had to ask. "Who keeps all these torches lit up?" she sped up a little so that she could walk next to Gumo, instead of trailing behind him as she had been.

"We…take turns," he sounded evasive, running his fingers through his hair. He continued looking straight ahead, and she wondered if he was telling her the truth. It sounded like he was hiding something. But he had not probed more about her bad memories, so she respected him enough to not question him. Perhaps she would ask Len, though she held little hope that he would answer either. Len was even more secretive than Gumo was, and he didn't seem to take kindly to being questioned, as he had demonstrated continuously yesterday. She glanced around at the torches again. Sometimes, instead of braziers, the torches were contained in bleached white skulls, which was something she had not noticed yesterday. The dancing flames that shone through the hollow eye sockets made it morbidly beautiful. She cringed at the sight, but could not help appreciating the way the torches threw shadows across the rock walls, the jaws of each skull seeming to smile…

She wondered whose skulls were these, and she wondered why only certain torches were held in skulls. There seemed to be a pattern, she noticed as they continued walking. Every seventh brazier, on either of the passageway, would be replaced by skulls. They were mostly animal skulls, she saw some with antlers and others with long, narrow snouts – but there were one or two that looked disturbingly human, and those unnerved her the most. She avoided looking at those. The eye sockets almost seemed to follow her as she walked down the path. She was thankful that yesterday, she was too tired to focus on anything other than putting one foot before the other – if she had seen all these skulls yesterday on the way to meet the Lost Boys, she probably would have been absolutely terrified. As it was now, she was rather intimidated, but she had already met the Lost Boys so she knew there was nothing to fear from them. If these skulls were human…who did they belong to?

And most of all, who had killed them? As she thought to herself, pondering over the mystery of the skeletal torch holders, Gumo led her into the main chamber, the one with the open roof. She narrowed her eyes, expecting the flood of light at the end of the passageway, and they stepped out into openness and fresh air. She felt, suddenly, rather vulnerable and exposed. The place looked the same as it did yesterday, save for the net full of food, which had been set carefully near the circle of stones in the middle. The other three boys were nowhere to be seen, and she guessed they were probably in their rooms. Gumo stopped, turning to face her. Suddenly, he looked rather solemn.

It seemed as though he had an announcement of some sort to make so she straightened and faced him, though her attention still wandered around the chamber, picking up on things she had failed to notice yesterday. Like the reddish stains that surrounded the central entrance, the stains that looked suspiciously like blood. She assumed this was Len's room, since no one had come out from this room yesterday. The small white fragments that gleamed out from the ground at her next to the stone circle, pieces that could almost be bits of bone…again, the skull on the pole that lay outside Nero's room watched her eerily, seeming almost alive. She could imagine its jaw clacking and clattering away, trying to tell her some sort of message, but she couldn't understand it for the life of her.

There were shadows in the darkest corners of the chamber, shadows that recoiled from the faint light of the sun – shadows that reminded her of her nightmares. She felt a vague familiarity, not a welcome kind, more uncomfortable than warm. It was the kind of familiar you would associate with seeing a hated aunt, a once-close friend who betrayed you in the past. It was not familiar in a good way. She wondered if, at night, the shadows lurking in the corners would coil up and form the ghostly shapes that clawed to her at night – perhaps they would speak in Neverland, perhaps they would be different from how they were like on Earth. She knew she didn't want to find out.

"There's the question of where you're going to sleep," Gumo started delicately, bringing her attention back to him. She tilted her head, waiting for him to continue, and he visibly swallowed, running his fingers through his hair once again. "Len actually asked me to be responsible for you," it sounded like a confession of guilt when combined with his fidgety gaze and obvious discomfort. "He told me to answer your questions and show you the way here, but he didn't tell me anything about your sleeping quarters. I can't just make a decision for you right now, so we'll have to wait for him to be back from whatever he's doing," he finished, looking somewhat relieved to have said all that.

"Why did he ask you to accompany me rather than doing that himself?" was all she asked, and he blinked, looking at a complete loss as to how to answer. He didn't say anything for some time; instead, he turned away from her, pacing away across the chamber. He passed between light and shadow while he walked back and forth. When he was in the light, he looked like she was used to, with his light green hair and those eyes that were a few shades brighter than her own deep emerald. When he stepped into shadow, it was different – she fancied that she could see, in the few moments between light and dark, when he still threw a shadow, the shape of a bear. But that couldn't be possible.

Finally, he must have come up with some answer, because he stopped his pacing and turned sharply to face her once more, expression unreadable. "I'm the youngest out of all the Lost Boys, so he thought I would be the most relatable, that you would be most comfortable around me. You are, aren't you?" the self-assuredness suddenly cracked, and he looked worried. She nodded, and relief entered his gaze. "That's good. I know it can all be a little overwhelming at first, and the others aren't exactly…very sociable," this was said apologetically. "They're pretty nice though, all of them, even Nero and Rei. They're cold in different ways. Piko will warm up to you in zero time since you're a girl," there was a suppressed snort in his words, "and me…well, it's the first time I'm no longer the youngest, so I didn't want to frighten you or anything. Though I have somewhat forgotten what it's like to be sociable. When you're always with the same people…you forget your manners."

"You're doing fine. You're more polite than some people back on Earth are, to tell the truth," she reassured him, and he cracked a bright smile at her. He reminded her of a little boy, in some ways. He had a vibrancy and spontaneity that the others seemed to lack. Then again, he was the youngest. Perhaps the others had already grown jaded to the harsh life in Neverland. She could not help but wonder what age they were when they all came to this land. Surely they had not come when they were her age, since they all seemed scarcely older than her – but then it couldn't have been that long ago either, right? She knew Len was here for at least ten years. What of the others?

"More polite than your mother is, certainly," Len's voice rang out through the chamber, startling them both – the words had lashed out at her like whips, and it stung somewhat. The woman she left behind, though she always seemed to treat her like a burden, someone she hoped would just disappear and leave her in peace, was ultimately still her mother. Though she never interacted with Miku directly, she at least paid for her medication. She didn't let others bully her. In a way, her mother still cared for her despite the physical neglect. And she could recall how loving her mother was before her father's death, back when they were still a happy family. Those few years while she was a drunkard, during her rare moments of sobriety, she had loved Miku too. And most of all, when Miku was sixteen and her life changed for the worse – the year she dropped out of school and just decided to stay at home, taking charge of her own education, her mother had cared for her.

"Don't insult her," she said evenly, meeting Len's gaze. His blue eyes were carefully neutral, not a hint of emotion within their depths. "She raised me for eighteen years, and I have only known you for two days. Judging from how you treated me the whole time I was here, I can hardly say you're the most polite person yourself, Len," she spoke without heat, and he did not react to her words, but she saw his eyes darken slightly at the implied accusation. Gumo very wisely stayed out of the conversation, though he constantly looked between the two of them, obviously curious.

"Well, I'll start on changing that impression you have, then," he continued in that same even tone. She knew they were both walling up their emotions behind their careful facades, and she knew this was dangerous too. She wondered how long it would be before one of them exploded. What would the consequences be if they really did lash out at each other? He, who knew the most about her situation out of the rest of them – what if he told the Lost Boys about her, about how strange she was, about the accusations of psychosis and schizophrenia, about the judgemental stares?

For a moment, familiar fear gripped her heart as she panicked about whether they would judge her, outcast her, fear her for her differences. She didn't have any medication here. The medication didn't help with her shadow nightmares, she still saw them no matter how many pills she took. The only reason why her mother continued buying them was because she kept quiet about her continued visions – she learnt long ago that telling her mother about their persistent existence would just lead to a new set of medication, each one more potent and expensive than the last. They could not afford such expensive treatment, so she kept quiet about her condition. She took the pills because, though they were useless in treating her mental state, they kept her drugged and hazy. She saw the world in a whirl of feeling and emotion, vivid colours and patterns. She was lucid enough to study by herself, holed up in her room, and she could carry on a normal, intelligent conversation, but her senses were rather dimmed and muted to reality. The effects were wearing off from the last time she ingested the pills, and the more the medication wore off, the more details she noticed about her surroundings.

As if sensing her rapid return to reality, the shadows in the corner of the chamber writhed and stretched, almost like they longed to crawl to her, caress her skin with their icy cold familiarity. Their touch was like feathers, dark and soft and so delicate. But their grip was unbreakable. She feared them because they were a mixture of impossibilities – hard and soft, frail but strong, beautiful and terribly grotesque. They were everything she wanted and everything she despised.

They had always lurked around her when she was little, but they were chased away when her father entered her room and sang that lullaby. The lullaby kept them away, and she slept peacefully. The shadows became more daring when her father passed away, forming shapes and whispering in their strange, undecipherable language, but never actually touching her, always coming close but withdrawing from her skin, as if the touch of her skin would dissolve them. They would hover over her, protectively or menacingly, it seemed to go either way, and she told her mother. Her mother told her to see a doctor, and that was when everything changed. The stigma came, people told each other that she was a lunatic, and her mother cast her away from her sight. But still, the shadows did not touch her, did not wrap around her wrists and trap her, struggling, to her bed at night.

It was only when she was sixteen…when her life changed, that everything changed, that the shadows started replicating touch and replicating her nightmares. "How so?" she asked, willing her voice not to tremble. She was almost scared of Len, sometimes. No, not scared. It was some other primitive, dark emotion she felt rise to her chest when she looked at him – the same kind of emotion that the rush of static prompted. She did not understand why she felt this electric jolt whenever he brushed against her skin. It seemed to be a connection of some sort, but why? She had never met him before. She didn't know anything about him other than what he had so reluctantly divulged.

His eyes gleamed, and he took a step closer towards her. "Simple," he breathed out, his voice soft – but she was paying him so much attention now that the single word seemed to ring out loud and clear as a yell. He almost looked gloating. "We decided where you'll sleep from now on…" he glanced at Gumo, who frowned, looking concerned. "You'll be sleeping in my room," he concluded, before he walked away, leaving Gumo stunned and Miku hollow. She did not react to his words.

She did not know how to react. Was she supposed to be upset or pleased? Gumo's look of surprise could mean either one – it was pure, simple surprise, neither horror nor elation. Len disappeared past the vines into the central cave, whose surrounding walls were streaked with red, and suddenly she wanted to know if that red was blood, if she was not the only one to have ever passed through those vines. Had Len shared his room with others before? Were those others where the red came from? Did Len kill his guests? An irrational fear rose within her, and the shadows stirred once again.

She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help thinking that Len intended to murder her. Why? She didn't know. But was there any need for logical reasons while they were here in Neverland?


	8. Chapter 8

Len leant against his bed, arms folded across his chest, waiting for the girl to come in. After a while, Miku parted the vines covering the entrance, carefully stepping inside the cavern.

"Took you long enough," he coughed, catching her attention. She jumped slightly, clearly startled, before she composed herself and walked fully into the room, the vines falling together behind her. Her arms were held loosely at her sides, and she looked almost afraid, save for the stubborn set of her jaw. He knew the look in her eyes to be that of fear, and wondered why she was frightened. He didn't think he had done anything to be seen as scary – dislikeable yes, but intimidating no.

"Where will I be sleeping? I hope there's a bed. I'm quite tired of sleeping on the ground," she said, voice strong and firm. It betrayed none of the wariness that lay in her expression. He was rather amused by her question – none of the Lost Boys ever cared about whether or not they had a bed to sleep in. Maybe it was because she was a girl…now there was a fine explanation. Maybe she was just spoilt. "I see you have one," she added, speaking into the silence, "and I hope that I'll have one too?"

The upward inflection at the end made it sound like a question rather than a demand. "You have one, don't worry. You're taking my bed," he swept his hand out towards the bed, an almost mocking gesture. She blinked at him, obviously shocked – her mouth fell open slightly, her green eyes widening. "Think of me as you will, but I never forsake the welfare of my lost children. You can ask any of the others," he shrugged. "At least I don't neglect their welfare without good reason," he added thoughtfully, thinking back to the times he had broken their limbs in punishment for breaking certain rules. Nero was the most frequent sufferer of corporal punishment, for the other blond haired boy was the one most prone to breaking their rules. Not that Nero seemed to mind it much.

"Then what about you, where will you sleep?" she finally asked after a few seconds of stunned silence. He raised an eyebrow, surprised that she cared anything at all about him. He didn't mind sleeping on the floor – though of course he wouldn't be – since he was already so… _old_. He had plenty of years to get used to hard surfaces. Len himself was a hard surface. He was mysterious smiles and unknowable thoughts. None of the Lost Boys ever verbally admitted to caring about his welfare, they knew he could take care of himself. Perhaps this was the difference between a girl and a boy – that the girl would be more emotionally vulnerable, even if she did not know him well.

He wondered if that was a good or bad thing, because in a place where the only rule was 'survival of the fittest', emotions weren't always a good thing. Being anything other than purely rational wasn't a good thing. And surely Miku herself must know that, for why else would her gaze constantly drift towards the sharp, small knife attached to his belt, her expression twisting into a grimace?

"I have another mattress," he answered, reaching down to beneath his bedframe. He let his hands latch on to the edge of the spare mattress and, with a grunt, he pulled it out, letting it flop onto the cave floor. It was a smaller mattress than the one on his bed, not nearly as soft either, but it would do. He was not particularly picky about where he slept to begin with. "Unless you want to take the mattress instead, and let me have my bed back?" he asked archly, testing her response. She hesitated – clearly feeling obligated to say yes, yet not wanting to do so. He chuckled. "I knew you wouldn't want to. I can see it in your eyes. You're the girl – you get the bed. You're young too," he mused, "there will be plenty of time for you to build a resistance to the harder things in life."

"I'm not that young, you're hardly older than me," she replied flippantly, settling herself daintily upon the bed. At that statement, he froze – he had almost forgotten that she was not aware of how old he really was. All the Lost Boys were aware, of course – they knew after a couple of years, because they all arrived in Neverland when they were young and he did not want to scare them by admitting that he, despite looking like he was in his early twenties at most, was actually centuries old. He waited for them to hit their late teens before he told them the truth, when he was sure that they were mature enough to really accept that their reality in Neverland was different from home.

But Miku…she came here in her late teens. It was different for her, not just because of her gender but also because of her age. And from what he heard while on Earth, their scientists had discovered that girls matured faster than boys did – a titbit he knew from a silly little argument he overheard between a couple while he was strolling in a neighbourhood one day. Was she able to accept his real age from the outset? Would she be frightened by the strange and unfamiliar? Especially in this time of crisis, when the _karerehe_ had reared their heads, he needed all of them to be united against the beasts. There could be no issue of distrust or fear between his lost children, it would destroy them.

No, it would be better to keep it from her for now. He would tell her when the attack was over, when she was more used to life here. "You're young in Neverland," he answered smoothly, already knowing exactly how to distract her from the matter of age. "You've only been here two days, so here you're a new-born baby – not very impressive," he fluffed out the mattress and lay down on it, gazing up at the ceiling. He could feel her gaze on him, intense and never shifting. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have the most…how do I say this? The most _physical_ gaze I've ever known?" he turned his head towards her, meeting those unblinking eyes. "I've never felt someone stare so hard that their very gaze feels like a physical shove. That's how I feel. Did anyone tell you that?"

She nodded, not surprised at all by what he said. "Mother told me I have the eyes of a witch, or a lunatic perhaps," she stated matter-of-factly. "Perhaps both," she added, looking perfectly serious for a few seconds before her lips quirked up in a smile. It was a small smile, but it made him feel slightly relieved nevertheless – when she so calmly referred to herself as a lunatic, despite it not being her personal words, he could not help but feel a strange sense of foreboding. There was more to her than met the eye, and that scared him a little. Him, who was never frightened of people. He was frightened of the intangible and what he could not see, but never, ever another human being.

"How do you get these mattresses?" she changed the topic, running one finger down the mattress she was sitting on. She looked quite curious now. "I'm sure there are no convenience stores here, and you could not possibly have flown these back from Earth if just my weight was enough to make you complain," she observed, something that impressed him a little though he did not wish to admit that he was impressed by her reasoning. "They are not modern, I admit…" she pinched the cloth of the mattress, feeling the material, "but they are fairly well made and not exceptionally rough."

"We made them," he patted the mattress he sat on, which was a smaller, less professionally crafted version of the one he normally used. "It's quite easy, really – we kill a few rabbits, skin their hides along with the fur and sew it all up. We leave an opening for us to stuff feathers in, and when it's full enough we sew up the rest. Of course we ensure than we tan the underside of the leather first, to make sure that the smell of decay doesn't set in. We're careful not to get the mattress wet…it retains water a little too well, and no one wants to sleep on a damp bed now, do they?" he asked liltingly. "I made a spare in case any lost child joins us. You'll have to make your own mattress soon enough," she made a face at that, "but for this month you can forget that first. We have better things to think about than your sleeping quarters. But understand this is a temporary arrangement."

She nodded, and he rose from the mattress, dragging it a little further away from the bed to the other side of the room. He may not have been raised among humans but he knew enough about proper decorum to give her the space she needed. "Someone ought to check on Piko…" he muttered, realising that he had not seen the silver haired boy since yesterday. That was strange. Usually after a Hunt, Piko would be there to greet them after their victorious return, assuming that he had not attended again due to some injury somewhere. He had not noticed this difference today since he was focused on directing Nero and Rei as well as thinking up of sleeping arrangements for the new girl – this was a larger worry than in the past given that this area was out of rooms, and he did not feel comfortable with letting this girl sleep in an area that was away from the rest of them. It wasn't just because she was a girl. It was because she had those…those monsters she talked about, the monsters in her head, which he took to be euphemisms for her possible hallucinations. And of course, he wasn't confident about letting someone who _might_ be somewhat insane sleep by herself.

His gaze drifted to her, and an idea came to mind. "Why don't you go and check on Piko?" he asked, hiding the little smirk that threatened to expose his thoughts. Miku, naturally, would not know of Piko's… _needs_. Not yet, anyway. She would in due time. It might be somewhat entertaining to send her to him – it wouldn't be dangerous for her at all, since Piko only recently came back from Tiger Lily and was satisfied – a loose way to put it – for the time being, plus Piko was ultimately too gentle to do anything which might shock Miku. At least he was the gentlest out of the Lost Boys. He did not know if Piko would be counted as gentle on Earth, but he was the least violent out of the five of them, even Gumo, and perhaps he would be a good start for integrating Miku into Neverland.

She looked surprised at the suggestion, but obviously seeing nothing wrong with the idea, she nodded. He amused himself with the possibilities that might arise from Piko encountering a girl who wouldn't actually try to smash his brains out, watching her leave the room. She looked hesitant, but that was unsurprising. She was just thrust into a whole new world and, in the span of two days, she had encountered much that was different from her previous reality. At the very last moment, when the vines closed behind her, he started regretting somewhat sending her to the sex-deprived _man_ who existed in the body of a youth, but it was not enough to make him go after her and stop her.

Piko wouldn't do anything, he knew that, so he relaxed, whistling softly to himself. This would be an eye-opener for her, to let her know that here, things were never what they seemed.

* * *

Miku went over to what she thought might be Piko's room. She wasn't sure. The only rooms she knew were those of Len and Nero – she paid little attention to the others yesterday, so uncertain she was at that time of her future. Now she wondered, which room belonged to Piko? The other three rooms were, from the outside, indistinguishable from each other. She sighed.

It seemed like all she could do then was just enter a random room and hope that it was his. She looked around the three rooms – one was next to Nero's, the other two were next to each other, on the right side of Len's room. She figured that if the Lost Boys had not all come at the same time, then perhaps the arrangement of their rooms was according to age – but what was the arrangement in that case? She only knew Len was the central room, probably because he was leader. Nero's room was on the left side, the furthest from Len's room. She decided to go try out the unknown room that was in between Len and Nero first. Maybe she would get lucky the first time.

She paused outside the entrance out of habit, but realised she had no door to knock. There was probably some way the Lost Boys used to indicate they wanted to come in, right? But she didn't know what that way was. She was struck by the thought that perhaps they didn't even indicate their presence outside. Perhaps they just barged right into each other's rooms. They were boys, after all, and they all knew each other well. Maybe there was no room for manners here, she didn't know. She hoped they wouldn't just barge into her room in the future, what if she was…changing? Or anything else that was equally private? The one thing she liked in her home was her privacy. At least her mother always knocked to announce her presence, if she ever wanted to enter her room.

Fighting her well-ingrained social rules, which explicitly stated not to enter a room without knocking first, she parted the vines and stepped inside. The first thing she saw was the boy sitting comfortably on his bed, his eyes closed – she saw the dark black hair, the colour of an evil man's heart, and knew immediately that this was not Piko. Kagene Rei appeared to be asleep, if anyone could sleep while they were sitting. His arms were folded across his chest – and now that she noticed, she saw that his chest was bare. He was shirtless, and that made her strangely uncomfortable. She had seen shirtless male bodies before, but…the thought that these boys were her age never really crossed her mind, and it never hit her that she might see them without their clothes on. Her face warmed.

He had a good body, she could not deny that. They all did. It was something she could not help but notice, the more time she spent in their presence. It was probably due to the physical exertion that came with the constant fight to survive. She didn't want to disturb him, so she turned to step away quietly out of the cave, but she accidentally stepped on a pebble that she had not noticed was in her way and, quite ungracefully, stumbled against the rock wall, her hand shooting out to grasp at the smooth surface and stabilise herself. She was sure he heard the heavy thud of her foot landing on the floor, and turned to glance at him, internally cringing. To her surprise, his eyes were still closed.

Perhaps she could get out without having to interact with him after all. She smiled a little, gratefully praying to whoever was out there, looking out for her – but before she could elegantly slink out of the room, she heard his voice ring out, loud and clear. "You know it's considered rude to just come into a room without announcing your intentions first?" he asked, a tone so calm and even that she thought it was more intimidating than if he had yelled at her. She swallowed, looking back again.

His eyes were closed still, but as she looked at him, knowing she couldn't escape his attention now, his eyes slowly opened, looking rather hazy – as though he really had just taken a long nap, sitting upright. They were golden, they were amber, a curious mix of hard and molten. His eyes were metallic pools, more intense than Len's. "Though then again you're new. I don't expect you to know what our customs are like yet. I know you hesitated outside because you didn't know how to knock," he still seemed perfectly serious, and that unnerved her a little. She was tempted to giggle nervously and hope that it would help her out of this situation. "What are you doing in my room anyway?"

The last question was said in such a matter-of-fact way that, for a few seconds, she thought it was just a statement, one that wouldn't need her to respond in any way. She jumped, startled when she realised he was asking her something. "I…I'm looking for Piko's room," she managed to say, unused to someone looking at her in such a strange, knowing way. Rei had a gaze that was comparable to hers, at least in her opinion. "Len asked me to look for him, I think it's because he didn't come to greet you all when you returned from the Hunt?" the last part was a question because she wasn't sure. She was assuming all this herself, since she couldn't think of any other reason why Len was concerned. Might it be that his injuries had somehow worsened, leaving him unable to meet them?

"Sounds like Len," Rei commented, unfolding himself and rising from the bed. When he stood, she noticed that he was noticeably taller than her – Rei was slight compared to Gumo, who was tall and rather bulky compared to Len and Rei. Len and Rei were built the same way, lean and lanky – not thin nor skinny, for those words held the hint of undernourishment and both boys looked perfectly healthy – but definitely lean. Gumo, and definitely Nero as well, were built more like sprinters, while Len and Rei were more like long-distance runners. When she saw Rei with all the other boys she didn't think that he was that much taller than her. Now, alone with him, she saw she was wrong.

"Could you point me to the right room?" she asked, heart thudding in her chest as he approached her. She was a little scared of him, more scared of him than she was of Len. Len was frustrating, but he was not frightening. Rei was just plain intimidating, with his quiet stare that made you feel like he was studying you, looking out for any possible weaknesses. And he had such a smooth voice, she unwillingly acknowledged – Len was persuasive in the words he said, in how he framed ideas. He had a smooth, pleasant voice and a friendly demeanour, when he wanted to be friendly of course, that had played some part in swaying her decision with regards to whether or not to follow him here. But Rei's voice was different. He had the smooth, crooning voice of a charmer, though his words were flat and unemotional. She knew then and there that, if Rei ever decided to use his voice to persuade her into doing something, she would be a lot more than just a little swayed. Rei was dangerous.

In the few seconds she took to run all this through her mind, Rei reached her side. His bare skin seemed to radiate warmth through the air, warmth that she could feel, and she couldn't help a shiver. He had a slight musky scent that reminded her of the forest, wild and unknowable but exciting for all that mystery. He leaned out of the room, pointing silently down at the room that was right next to Len's too, just on the right side instead. She nodded in thanks and made to leave.

Before she could step out, she felt his fingers wrap around her upper arm, and she froze, her already racing heart suddenly hitting a new level of speed. She felt, rather than saw, him lean close to her, his warm breath washing over her ear. He had to lean down to speak to her like this, and that made him even closer to her. His scent got stronger, and it made her a little dizzy – she had to struggle hard to compose herself. "You might want to watch out for Piko," Rei whispered in her ear, a low, sensuous whisper – she had not really heard him speak before this unless you counted the instance she overheard him and Nero arguing, and his voice had been filled with anger then. She was utterly unprepared for this, for the effect his voice alone had on her. "Len thinks that he isn't a danger at all, and in a way he's right – but a desperate man is always a danger, just keep that thought in mind."

With that, he released her, his expression still completely unreadable. Without any further ado he returned to his bed, sitting gracefully back down in the same position he was in earlier. She took in deep breaths as surreptitiously as she could, trying hard to regain her inner calm – gradually, she felt her heartbeat slow. That cryptic warning made her wonder about what Piko was like – he was the one she had seen the least – but surely Len would not have sent her to someone dangerous. Plus Piko was one of the Lost Boys. He couldn't possibly be someone for her to be wary of, could he?

She stepped out of Rei's room, and suddenly a load was lifted off her chest and she felt like she could breathe normally again. Her lungs expanded, taking in the air, and she never felt freer. She looked back at the room she just left, and questions filled her head – why did he make her feel that way? What did his mysterious warning, a warning about one of his own friends, mean for her? And why was it that, despite shaking off the strange oppression she felt while in his room, she still wanted a bit more – she still wanted to go back inside and hear more of the sweet verbal poison that was his voice? _Storyteller_ , the word sprang to mind – he had the charming voice of a storyteller.

She shook the thoughts off. They were not helping in any way, so she made her way over to the room Rei indicated. Quite sure that this was Piko's room now, she stood outside for a moment, briefly overtaken by nervousness – Rei's warning came back to mind in the most unhelpful manner – but she suppressed her misgivings and slowly parted the vines, so that if he was awake he would know that she was coming in. "Hello?" she called out softly, just in case he had not noticed her entrance. There was no response, so she grew bolder and stepped in all the way.

The room was noticeably dimmer than the outside, so it took a while for her vision to adjust. This room was dimmer than Rei or Len's, for some reason – perhaps it was due to the hairline cracks in the ceilings in the caves mentioned earlier. She eventually managed to make out a shape huddled in bed, which she took to be Piko. He was likely asleep, she guessed. She took a cautious step closer, in case he was ridiculously sensitive to external stimuli like Rei proved himself to be. The figure didn't even stir. Relieved, she moved closer, now walking with a casualness that she had not felt around either Len or Rei, not even around Gumo. The whole time she was with the Lost Boys, she always felt so… _different_ , and it made her feel uneasy. Now, this Lost Boy was asleep, and to her it was like he wasn't even there. She reached the bedside and peered at the shape lying on the mattress.

It was with surprise that she realised that the huddled up shape was nothing but a blanket. She had not expected that – neither Len nor Rei had a blanket. Then where was Piko if he was not here? The cave was not big. She was certain that the silver haired boy could not possibly be hiding in some dark corner of the room. Len had not appeared to know that Piko was not in his room, meaning that this was probably abnormal. Should she go and look for him? But that idea was ridiculous. She could barely find her way around here, let alone look for someone who perhaps did not want to be found.

"What are you doing here?" a soft voice spoke up from behind her. She whipped around so quickly that she thought she got whiplash. There stood the very boy she was looking for, peering quizzically at her, mismatched eyes wide with curiosity. Thankfully he was, unlike Rei, fully clothed, and there was something about his soft-spoken manner that made her feel marginally more comfortable around him than the others, Gumo being the exception. "This is my room," he added, as though she did not know that. Then again, perhaps he wasn't sure if she knew or not. For all he knew she was just exploring around the cave network and was wandering into every entrance she could see.

"Len asked me to check on you. He seems…concerned," she struggled to find the right word. He definitely was not worried – she was sure that if Len was worried, he would have gone to look for Piko himself, not send her. "Probably because you didn't come out to meet the others when they returned from the Hunt?" she supplemented, seeing the confusion that crossed his face. At that, his expression changed into understanding, and he laughed softly, making her feel a little more at ease too. He just didn't seem to be as intimidating as the other boys, perhaps because he was injured.

"It is unlike Len to worry," he mused. "But he probably knows I'm fine, I always am. I always recover quickly, after all," his voice sounded a little bitter here, and she thought she understood why, though she could not be sure. His mood brightened after that. "I just went out to hunt a little, I got hungry and I didn't want to wait for the others to come back. I've had my share of food, and I won't take part in the feast later…at least not for today," he grinned boyishly. Piko had a kind of charm that was distinct from Rei and Gumo. Gumo was lively and exciting and undoubtedly friendly, while Rei was cool and aloof and had a voice like honeyed poison. Piko was…perhaps a mix of both. She couldn't get the sight of his boyish grin out of her head. There was childlike innocence in Piko that was tempered by the sheer adult-ness of his person – or was innocence really the right word to use?

"So I should just go and tell Len that you're fine?" she asked, taking his words as a signal for her to leave. He shook his head frantically, and that surprised her – she had not expected so much emotion to arise from her words. "Is there something wrong…?" she raised her voice a little, trying to get through to him – he was still shaking his head, though it was much slower now. He stopped at her words, his dual-coloured eyes meeting hers. Even in the darkness of his room, his eyes glimmered. One was deep, dark green like hers. The other reminded her of Len's eyes, but a little darker too, like comparing the blue of a summer sky with the deeper, more volatile blue of the ocean.

"Could you stay?" he asked, and suddenly he seemed vulnerable. "Just a little longer? I haven't…had a really proper conversation with anyone in a long while, when you stay with the same people and see the same faces over and over again it sometimes gets tiresome to converse. We do what we all have to do, but words are rare here unless Len has an important announcement to make to us," he sighed. "We only talk when necessary because we know each other so well that sometimes a look can convey more than any sentence can. But I do miss the sound of my voice along with that of another. It's different, no matter how used we get to each other. And I prefer this, honestly."

She didn't know what to say, so for a moment she just stood there in silence, looking at him, absorbing what he said. His words made her wonder if this was the reason why he looked at her so imploringly her first day here – if conversation was something he wished to have with her, and just her. She liked the idea of discussion. She never talked to people much while she was at home, and after the age of sixteen she retreated from the social world entirely. She only ever spoke to her mother, and sometimes her self-enforced social isolation threatened to overwhelm her. Sometimes it made her feel like she was truly insane, out of her mind. It was torture in the cruellest form, to be unable to interact. But she did so for a good reason. She did so to protect herself from other people.

Would she have to protect herself here? She saw his earnestness and knew that he was not lying, that he was looking for someone to talk to him and be his companion. No one else had ever looked to her for anything before. People never asked. They left her alone most of the time, convinced that she had nothing to give them, and even when they thought she did have something worth having, they took it from her forcefully. She was never asked, never really wanted. Seeing him now, seeing him look at her this way and knowing that she was of importance to him – it made her feel good. It made her feel, for this once in her life, wanted, even when her own mother did not want her.

So she nodded, and he smiled a smile of relief. There was still boyish youth and charm in that smile, though the relief shone through clear as day. "You don't know what it is like," he started, stepping further into the room and letting the vines fall together behind him, "to be stuck here with four other people but only ever hearing your own voice screaming away inside your head. No one to talk to, no one to listen. Nothing but your own thoughts and ideas to entertain you. This is hell," he was close enough to her now for her to see that he had shivered, "and that's why Neverland is so hellish. It's not the scrabble to survive or the long years or the lack of prey, the cruel and hard land – it's the silence that falls over us all, the longer we stay here. The more we linger in this land the more we lose our voices, the ability to shape our thoughts and let others know of them," he was right in front of her now. He was half a head taller than her. "You're willing to save me from Hell, but do you know what you're saving me from? Do you know what you're getting yourself into, Hatsune Miku?"

She stared at him. He was staring right back, the vivid contrast between his differently coloured eyes making her feel a little disoriented, especially when his eyes were up close. But she heard and she understood what he said. She knew perfectly well what he was referring to, and she knew how to respond. What he described…was it not what she was familiar with? She knew it all too well.

"Don't worry about me, Piko," she spoke, and he listened to her, drinking her words in with delight, so happy he was to hear her voice. She wondered why he liked her voice so much, or was it just the fact that he now had someone new to speak to? "I know perfectly well what I'm getting myself into. And everything you just described…I've lived through that, you know, while I was home. I know what it's like to not talk to another being. You get used to it, the hollow ache that lies within your body that can't be replaced no matter how much you write or talk to your reflection. There's a need for interaction within all of us; it's only human to desire it," she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was surprised that she dared to touch him of her own accord, but again there was something about Piko that just made him seem so vulnerable. And there was something heady about being needed and wanted, when her whole life people cast her aside and treated her as mere nothing.

"Human…yes, it's human to desire," he murmured, voice so soft that if she had not been standing so close to him she probably would have missed his words. He straightened suddenly, making him look slightly more assertive though the vulnerability still lingered in his expression. "If it's human to desire companionship and people," he started, his gaze never leaving her, "is it human to desire you, too?"


	9. Chapter 9

She stared at him in shock, not fully comprehending what he just asked her. He smiled at that, that youthful boyish smile, and she continued standing there utterly, completely unresponsive.

"You're…joking, aren't you?" she finally said, forcing the words out past suddenly stiff, unmoving lips. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head, the grin never leaving. She felt like she ought to get out of here, because this reminded her to things long gone past that she didn't want to think about at the moment – but her feet felt rooted to the ground. She thought he was nice, that he was soft-spoken and different, but he was just like most of the boys she had known back at home.

"You must think I'm a creep," he suddenly voiced out, and her gaze was drawn back to him. It had started to drift, she tried to look at anywhere other than him. "I would think so too if I were in your shoes. Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to take another's perspective," he stepped closer to her, and instinctively she backed away. He noticed that, but made no comment. "Being able to slip into the shoes of another person is a luxury only afforded to people who don't have to fight to survive. When you're nothing more than animal," his eyes gleamed in the darkness of the cave, "you do lose, somewhat, your rationality…but there's nothing to fear from me," suddenly he smiled. It was a quick change from his expression just a second ago, and she blinked, not quite sure how to react. Should she stand her ground or get away from here? "I'm perfectly harmless, you can ask any of the others," he continued smiling that same disarming, youthful grin, awaiting her response.

She knew that the others thought he was harmless. Rei himself had said so just earlier, that Len thought Piko was harmless and he wasn't wrong for thinking that – but then Rei was also the one who warned her about Piko. And Rei himself, to begin with, wasn't the most trustable of people… "I'm not scared of you," she told him. It was the truth. "I'm just…startled by what you said. I did not think you could possibly mean it," she laughed. It was a high-pitched, nervous laugh and she thought that maybe she was a little more afraid than she would like to think she was. "But I think it is due time for me to return to Len's room. It's where I sleep after all,' she blabbered, noticing the almost angry look that crossed his face. She had never seen him angry before, didn't think he could possibly be angry – she didn't want to know what it would look like either. "There will be other times."

She tried to edge around him and leave – she wasn't sure what she would do once she left the cave, she just knew she wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. But he stepped into her path, blocking her way to the entrance, and she gritted her teeth in frustration, folding her arms across her chest. She was quite sure that, despite Piko's frailty in comparison to the other boys, he was still stronger than her. She did not exercise nor did she know anything about self-defence, though she didn't mind giving him a kick to the groin if he continued trapping her in his room this way. The playful look on his face – oh, but why did he always have to look like an innocent child looking for attention though she knew he was anything but? – indicated that he guessed what she was thinking.

"You'll return tomorrow?" he spoke in the same gentle manner he used when he first found her in his room. She did not want to agree, but there was something in his expression, perhaps the cautionary look in his eyes, which made her nod her head. Besides, she knew that he would not let her leave unless she said yes, and she was also fairly sure that he would be able to counter her perfectly if she attempted to attack him. "You don't need to worry about my desires," he looked away from her, gaze fixing on a crack in the cave wall a little distance away. Her eyesight was getting used to the dim light of his room, and she could make out small details about her surroundings now. "That's something I can settle for myself. You might doubt my integrity, but do not doubt Len's. He despises trouble between us, so he won't let me do anything which you disagree with," again, that disarming grin crossed his lips. "And I would not dare to cross Len," he said with a finality that couldn't help but convince her.

What he said made sense, after all. So she relaxed slightly, thinking that perhaps returning tomorrow might not be so bad after all, if only she could get what he said to her out of her head. "Tomorrow then," Piko stepped away from her, returning to his bed, leaving her pathway to the exit free. "I'll wait for you to speak with me before I sleep," he spoke up from where he was, now lying on the bed. "Honest conversation is all I want, anything else can… _wait_ ," there was a certain suggestiveness in the last word but she tried not to think about that. His voice sent shivers down her spine, but she couldn't be sure if they were good or bad shivers. If she only thought about what he said then yes, he sounded like a creep, but then his soft-spoken charm and the youthful eagerness that surrounded him…it was making her feel very conflicted. She was, she realised, too easily influenced by emotions.

She chose not to say another word to Piko because she didn't want to risk being helplessly drawn into yet another conversation with him, and she knew that if he responded to her words she wouldn't be able to resist answering. She stepped out of the room into muted sunshine, and though she did not feel the same sense of overwhelming freedom that came with leaving Rei's room, she felt undeniable relief nevertheless. "These boys are so strange," she murmured thoughtfully to herself – perhaps stranger than even she was. It was with mixed happiness that she noticed that – happiness for she had found others who were…unconventional like her, but it was mixed with foreboding because she lived among them now. Who knew what her future had in store for her with them?

The only one who was anywhere near normal was Gumo. Even Len had his quirks, despite being their leader. Was it because Gumo was the youngest? She suspected that he was, the way he listened to the others seemed to indicate that – but then their ages were all so close to each other that should age really make a difference? "I'm back," she called out – as she thought to herself she had made her way back to Len's room, and she was now parting the vines and stepping inside the space that, to her surprise, she already regarded as hers. There was no response to her call.

Len was not in the room. Her first thought, naturally, was to question where he was – did he send her to Piko so that he could be alone, to do something that might involve her? Stirrings of suspicion rose within her – she wouldn't put it past Len to be sneaky that way – but she forced her paranoia to subside. Maybe he just had to step out to do something else. Surely it had nothing to do with her mental state. If Len was so concerned about her psychological health then he probably wouldn't have brought her here and risk exposing others to danger, right? The fears still squirmed in the back of her mind, but they were diminished, and for now she could force herself to forget about them.

She sat on the bed, her bed now, kicking her legs idly against the bedframe. The bed was cold, a sign that no one had slept there for a day at least, but she could still smell Len's scent wafting up to her from the sheets. Len had a distinct scent that distinguished him from others, much like Rei. But Len's scent was of spices – he reminded her of the cinnamon she could smell in cinnamon rolls when she walked past a nearby bakery and decided to get an afterschool snack, in the past. It was an oddly familiar and comforting scent, spicy and warm, and she lay down, her cheek nestled against the pillow. The pillow was made much the same way the mattress was, but of a softer material, she did not know what. The spicy, heady scent was strongest here, on the pillow. She closed her eyes.

It was only now that she realised exactly how tired she was. She knew she was exhausted of course, but it was only when her head hit the pillow that she knew the true extent of her exhaustion. All her thoughts and worries about Len and what he was up to left her mind, blown away as easily as smoke in the wind. Her eyes closed, and she felt herself sink into the familiar, welcoming dark oblivion that was sleep. The last conscious thought she could recall having was whether this was all just a dream.

* * *

 _We are hungry, and we need another_ , the voices hissed in his head, entwining around him in their dark embrace. Len gritted his teeth, feeling the bitter anger and hatred rise up like bile within him, but not daring to say anything which would fuel their viciousness. The masters disgusted him.

"You asked me to bring you someone, and I did. It's not my fault if you're unwilling to accept her," he spoke out loud, the faint echoes of his voice making him feel a little bit braver. His voice was present, the masters were only inside his head. They could not physically hurt him – but it wasn't the physical pain he was afraid of, it was always the mental anguish. He tried to push that thought away, in case the masters were reading his mind. He didn't want them to know of his fear. They already had a leash on him, a noose around his neck. Letting them know about his fear of that noose, how terrified he was of his visions, would just give them more control over him, control he could ill afford to lose. They had to continue thinking he was reckless and foolhardy. It was the only way to protect himself from their malignance – to act like a callous cad who only cared about his own wellbeing.

 _You wish to complain? You want to defy our words, Kagamine Len, for the rest you think you so rightfully deserve?_ The masters recoiled, voices dripping with spite. _Do not forget who your lords are! Do not forget your place!_ One of them screeched in his mind, and he flinched, unable to help his reaction. Thankfully they didn't seem to notice. He actually wondered sometimes whether they were capable of knowing what he did in the physical world, outside of the confines of his mental space.

"Another night," he muttered unwillingly, not wanting to set out to Earth at all but knowing the best he could come to would be a compromise. "One more night for me to regain my strength and I will return to Earth for a child. You know how exhausting flying is. If I were to die from the stress it puts on my heart, where are you going to find another Pan?" he asked, an argument he had presented before time and time again, an argument the masters wearied of but knew to be true.

 _All right, we accede to your request_ , they seethed, slithering through his mind like venomous snakes. _But do not forget that we are hungry, and if we should lack our sustenance…_ their voices trailed off here, letting his own imagination fill in the gaps. With that, they took flight from his mind, leaving him feeling hollow inside. He had, once again, agreed to return to Earth and essentially kidnap another child. He highly doubted that Miku would approve. She, out of all the Lost Children, would know exactly what he was returning for. She was the only one who knew the truth about the dark heart of Neverland, for the boys had all arrived when they were too young to understand and so he kept the truth from them. If Miku found out, if she realised that she was not the last person he brought back here…would she try to stop him? Would she let slip to the Lost Boys what he was doing?

They thought the cave he led them to was a way home. They were aware that he led willing children to Neverland for they had experienced it before themselves, his honeyed voice working in their ears and putting fantasies in their minds. But what they didn't know was that the cave was _not_ a way home, a way they unfortunately could not muddle through. It led to nothing but oblivion, and he worried that Miku, in her simultaneous knowledge and ignorance, would let slip the truth of his activities to the Lost Boys he had, for centuries and centuries, kept the terrible secret from.

He did not even want to begin imagining the betrayal they would feel, knowing that he had led them here to die and that their survival wasn't something he expected. He thought they would not return from the depths of the cave – what horrors actually lay in it, what dangers had he sent them to? At the end of the day, he cared for them. He wasn't the most emotional person but in his own way, he cared. They were the only ones who managed to keep him from going completely into insanity all these years. He had lived three lonely centuries alone before, until the first Lost Boy, Rei, came to join him. He did not want any risk of those long centuries returning. He had enough of being alone.

 _Perhaps you should tell them the truth. Then you no longer have to fear anything Miku might say to them,_ a small voice, perhaps his conscience, piped up in his thoughts. But he immediately threw that idea away. There was a reason why, although he admitted his true age to them, he said nothing about his intentions in bringing them here. He knew that for Rei, Piko and Nero, the truth would not be such a hard blow – they had many years to get used to this life, and their parents on Earth would be long dead by now. Their siblings would probably be dead too. All they were left with were descendants, and even then they wouldn't know their siblings' children. But Gumo…Gumo's mother might very well still be alive. If Gumo found out the truth and knew that he was meant here as a sacrifice, that there had never been any chance for him to return to Earth after coming here, that to come here he had to sacrifice his family forever – something he lied about, for he told Gumo that he could return whenever he wanted before – then he was sure that the boy would utterly despise him.

He knew Gumo's mother was still alive, or at least she was the last time he checked. He went to find her five years ago, at that point feeling an overwhelming surge of guilt for having burnt Gumo's three letters to ashes. He decided to at least check on the woman himself, not for Gumo's sake but for the sake of his own conscience. The woman was old now, in her eighties. She had Gumo young – Gumo told him before that his mother was only eighteen when she gave birth to him, marrying her childhood sweetheart while they were still in school. She couldn't juggle her pregnancy and the demands of college so she dropped out, leaving her husband and Gumo's father to shoulder the financial burden of the small family. It was why Gumo never saw his father around very much. The man was always working, but at the expense of knowing his son. Gumo was a great deal closer to his mother than to his father, and she doted on him for he was her only child, and a young child at that.

Gumo followed him to Neverland when he was only ten years old. He was, at that time, upset and angry for his mother had been out looking for part-time work – as he grew older she spent less and less time with him, sure he could be independent and deciding to help her husband support the family – and she, as a result, came home too late to celebrate his tenth birthday. Little children then were unreasonable and selfish. Gumo was, from young, doted upon despite their poor background, and he was rather spoilt. He demanded his mother's constant attention, and saw her forgetfulness as simple neglect. He felt that she no longer wanted him, the same way his father made him feel, so when the flying stranger with the bright, warm smile offered him the chance to fly away to another land, he took it. He thought to leave until his mother grew worried and wanted him to come back.

But he never thought that he would never have a chance to return. Gumo asked him if he could bring him back to Earth before, since the Lost Boys all knew that he visited the place regularly. He already knew that this was impossible. Gumo was not the first one to ask, after all – Rei had asked, Piko had asked, Nero had asked. They all asked once they started getting lonely, once they missed their lives back home. But back then, so many years ago, none of them knew how to read or write. They only learnt recently, when Gumo came and taught them how. The Lost Boys knew how to speak of course, but written words were beyond them. In olden times, education was something commoners could barely afford, and the other three had been poorer than commoners.

Gumo, who knew of the written word and knew how to write letters, did not give up hope unlike the others. Although he failed in getting home via flying – for he discovered just like the rest did that when carrying Gumo, there was a certain invisible barrier above Neverland that prevented him from flying off to Earth – he thought that letters might be able to reach his mother. He regretted his folly. The older he grew, the more mature he became, and the more he realised that what he did then was incredibly childish, nothing more than an impulsive, hateful tantrum. He came to regret, just like everyone else did. But even the letters he wrote made no difference, for he refused to deliver them to Gumo's mother. He did not want to ignite hope in the woman that her son would one day return, for even though he was alive, he could not return. He was not so cruel as to taunt her with hopeless dreams and memories, and he thought that Gumo should know better by now, despite his regret and anger at himself. Gumo was an old man, if you took his mental aging instead of his physical age. He should have the wisdom to understand that letters would only serve his mother more pain.

He glanced around at his surroundings. He knew the masters were about to speak to him – when they wanted to tell him something they always announced their presences through a faint hissing that rattled through his mind, distracting him from his thoughts. His very being would feel colder, almost _heavier_ , each step taking more effort to make. It was like struggling through oil. Not as thick and viscous as tar might be, but it was definitely still uncomfortable. He knew then that the masters beckoned, and he decided to get out of his room as quickly as he could so he could receive their message in peace. He did not want Miku to know that he was talking to voices in his mind, nor did he want her to know what it would look like if they decided to, for some reason, inflict punishment upon him. He did not want Miku to witness the anguish that came with the release of his visions.

And for some reason, he would prefer it that she did not know anything of his continued dealings with the masters. Let her think that after sending her to the cave for them, he had no more ties to the dark beings within it. He wanted as few people to know about the masters as possible. It was bad enough that Miku knew of their existence – he didn't want her to know about how strong their influence was over him, or that their influence continued even after she was brought here, after his duty was supposedly finished. The Lost Boys knew nothing. She would know nothing either. It was not in his nature to share his secrets or problems, even if Miku knew more about his situation than the others did. She already knew too much, and he wondered if he should have told her all that.

But he doubted that, given her age when she was taken and given that strangely keen, knowing look on her face, she would have fallen for the sweet innocent lies he spun for children. She was not a child, though to him she was little more than an infant. He had to find a balance between knowledge and obscurity in her case; let her know enough to satisfy her inquisitive, _grown-up_ mind yet conceal enough that she would not panic and cause any fuss. How was he to find such a balance?

He thought about that all the way back to the den, his steps slow and deliberate. He found that walking helped him to think, so he walked as slowly as he could without feeling uncomfortable. The sun was already starting to sink beneath the canopy of the trees, and he knew he had to get back soon to catch a few hours of sleep. He was immortal, but he was not superhuman. He needed sleep as much as anyone else would, and going for more than two days without rest would make him cranky and rash. As leader, he could not afford to make impulsive decisions, and tonight was the first night they had to start fortifying their den. He had to remain awake, clear and precise for tonight, to make sure that preparations were smooth and going well. He had to remain on guard for the whole month until the _kararehe_ attack. He sighed – the _kararehe_ …why did Nero have to kill the beast?

The sacred _kararehe_ were forces of nature in the forms of wild animals. They ruled Neverland in a very different sense from the masters – the masters were deliberate and measured, they were a thinking, conscious force. The _kararehe_ , much like the primitive, savage power of the forest, were wild and untameable. They acted without thinking, they were raw nature at its most dangerous. When you encountered one, Silver Winds told him way before when she was much younger, you just had to show it respect. Respect and not fear, for the _kararehe_ had no regard for fear. And definitely not violence, because that would just incite the beast to attack. Just show it respect, Silver Winds said, and that respect would be repaid in due time. Yet how was one to show respect to a wild animal?

He did not know what the other _kararehe_ were. He only knew that there was a beast for each sacred element – fire, water, air, earth and spirit. He sometimes wondered if the masters could be the personifications of spirit, but something within him recoiled at the thought – the _kararehe_ were pure and sacred beasts who had no alignment, knew not good nor evil. The masters were definitely evil through and through. There was no way such beings could be something raw and powerful like the forest. If they were _kararehe_ , then surely they would not fear the forest so, would they?

He found the entrance to the den just as the sun sank down below the horizon, leaving the sky a dark shade of blue that was neither night nor day, not evening nor afternoon. It was that stage of in between when magic could happen. _Magic…_ a concept his mother believed in. That was all he recalled of his mother. The belief in magic, the whispers of old spirits and animals who walked the land, who fought against the evil demons who would come to steal away babies and cattle. They were old tales, folk tales. Stories passed down from generation to generation. He and his sister both sat at the hearth and listened with rapt attention to the weaving of stories by an expert storyteller. At night when he slept, her stories played through his head, manifested as dreams.

They were, he knew, considered fairly well off. They had enough money for their own little plot of land and an idyllic little cottage that faced out to sea. He and his sister, Rin, loved the sea and the feel of the sand between their toes. It was dangerous getting down to the beach – the only way down was via a set of steps carved into a sheer rock cliff, and when the tide was high and the sea spray flung itself up into the air, the stairs would be wet and slippery and a wrong step could mean the difference between life and a watery death. His sister and he, however, loved going to the beach when it was at high tide. The water never reached to the very end of the beach so they would stay there, watching the waves roll out and in, dark saltwater lapping at the toes covered in sand.

They used to hunt for seashells during low tide, and attempt to swim during high tide, much to his mother's despair and annoyance. She thought they would drown themselves one day. It was common for children to die when he was young, for an injury could easily lead to something so much worse. You didn't see that in the modern world, where doctors were well trained and there was much breakthrough in the field of medicine. Back then, all they had were prayer and bandages, and sometimes the bandages themselves were dirty. It could lead to gangrene. It could lead to death.

He sometimes wondered what his life would be like if he had not gotten swept out into the sea. If he had heeded the warnings of his mother and stayed home on that day, ignoring the whispering allure of high tide as the waves crashed against the rock cliff, seagulls screeching overhead. If he had ignored Rin's suggestion to sneak out of the cottage while Mother was visiting her friend, leaving them both alone without parental supervision. If he had not listened to his twin sister, who had a bad reputation for dangerous and reckless plans, whose wishes, more often than not, resulted in pain and suffering for another…but he was weak then, and he said yes. He gave in to her because he didn't know how to say no. Being swept away into the strong currents was his reward for that.

He never knew what happened to Rin. Sometimes, he wondered. The last thing he ever saw was her, crying out frantically for him, attempting to jump into the water and swim over and rescue him but always being pushed back by the tide. And him, being swept further and further out to sea…he did not know if she lived or died, and that occupied his thoughts constantly in the past. The older he got, the older she became too, until it reached a point where he knew she could not be alive anymore, and he let go of her ghost. Her ghost did not let go of him. She still haunted him, the constant murmurs of _what-if_ and _if-only_ resounding in his mind whenever the forest went dark and he was left alone with his thoughts. He wondered if Rin hated him for letting go, both of himself and of her.

He stepped through the portal in the tree, feeling the familiar falling-yet-not-moving sensation that shocked every Lost Boy the first time he entered this place. He waited patiently for the fall to end, whistling softly to himself as he did so – his voice was unnaturally loud in the darkness – and before long, he found his feet touching the ground. Honestly, he did not know whether they were still in Neverland or if this cavern network was a completely different place. Were they underground in Neverland, or did the tree in fact transport them to a totally new dimension? But there was no way to find out, so he let the curiosity gnaw at him. Allowing the curiosity to itch and pain him was the only way he could make sure that he was actually still alive – that he still had feelings, that he was not just some empty husk of a man simply fulfilling his everyday duties. He didn't want to die inside, continue living an empty life with no purpose. Yet what could he do if he ever gave up, if he stopped hanging on to life? He could not kill himself. He would be a zombie, unable to die, unable to live.

That was the reason why he clung on to life so desperately no matter how bleak or cold it seemed. It was why his mind developed defensive mechanisms against the obvious cruelty of kidnapping a child and sentencing an innocent to an uncertain fate. It was all in a bid to continue living, because the life of the living dead was impossibly, unimaginably worse. He reached out, fingers brushing against one of the skull holders set in the wall as he went down the passageway. The bone was worn and dull, smooth against his fingertips. The skull was humanoid, and he didn't know who it belonged to. Or perhaps he could not remember. It had been so long. He was prone to forgetting – he even forgot whether or not he used to know something. He only lived for the moment, much like an animal did.

Was he an animal? He entered the open air cavern – it was darker now, and harder to make out the individual holes in the wall that indicated each person's sleeping quarters. He went towards his own, stepping carefully past the vines and making as little noise as possible for he was quite sure that Miku would be, at this point, asleep. No one could stay up for so long after so much changed in their lives. She would have to be exhausted. He knew he was. The first day he washed up on the shores of Neverland, he was so tired that he knocked out for two entire days, just sleeping and sleeping on the beach. Back then, Neverland was different. There were no wild animals to fear. But that was then.

He carefully laid himself down on the mattress on the floor, on the other side of the room, away from the sleeping girl. She was curled up in bed, her head nestled on his pillow, which he had mixed feelings about because he did want her to be comfortable but, on the other hand, he liked his pillow too. Perhaps tomorrow he would take his pillow. They could take turns. She had taken his bed, she could relent a little for the pillow, surely. It was the one comfort he took, for it didn't matter to him where he slept as long as there was something on which he could rest his head. It was not for the sake of luxury – he needed a headrest for practical reasons. Those he would explain to her later, if he decided to let her know at all. His secrets, the things he did, were not matters he liked to divulge.

He was unused to sleeping without his pillow but still, he made himself comfortable, finding a softer part of the mattress on which he could lay his head. After some contemplation, he reached over to his clothes chest – which was, thankfully, quite nearby and did not need him to get up to reach – and rummaged around in it for his old overcoat. He found it, the worn leather still firm and clean enough to use on his mattress. He bunched it up into a small pile before settling his head on it, satisfied with his makeshift pillow. Then tonight, the dreams and possibilities would not visit him. He was safe.

"Good night," he said to no one in particular – he liked to think that he was greeting his dreams, or perhaps even the ghost of Rin which haunted him so. Then he closed his eyes and he slept.


	10. Chapter 10

When Len awoke – for he had the strangest feeling that someone was watching him in his sleep, and who could sleep through that? – the first thing he saw was a pair of glowing orbs staring right at him.

He shot up with a yelp, pushing himself back from the eyes. His heart was racing. It took a while for him to realise that it was just the girl, and she was watching him with amusement on her face, clearly entertained by his shock. She was crouched next to him, her hands wrapped around her knees. His heartbeat began to slow, hand instinctively reaching up to cover his chest. He breathed.

"Don't do that!" he snapped, sounding more breathless than threatening. "It's creepy as hell. I have enough problems in Neverland without having to wake up thinking that a wolf got into my room or something…" though he wouldn't have been in any danger if a wolf really did enter the den. She didn't know that yet though. "What do you want?" he muttered now, the shock mostly receding from his blood by now. Miku rocked back on her heels, still smiling in that smug, satisfied way.

"I was just surprised to see you here when I woke up. You disappeared when I came back from looking for Piko, after all," she explained, pale fingers rapping out a quick rhythm on her knee. "It's night time already," she offered unhelpfully, "and it's time for you to be up anyway. Rei came in a while ago. He wondered where you were, but he left when he saw you were sleeping," she rose from the ground now, pale skin eerie in the faint moonlight that shone into his room.

"Rei?" he blinked, more interested in what she was saying now. "Is he still around? How long has it been since he came to look for me?" he jumped up to his feet, stretching himself, a low moan escaping his throat as he did so. He felt stiff all over – it had been a long time since he last had to take the thinner mattress, and the stone wore through his bones. If Rei had been in here just a little while ago, perhaps he could still catch the dark boy before he went out for his nightly feast.

"Not that long ago, maybe ten or fifteen minutes. I didn't keep track," the girl was facing away from him now, long teal hair a dark mass that reached down to her waist. She was combing her fingers through her hair, radiating complete dismissiveness. "He said it was nothing urgent anyway, I asked. Oh, and you know," she turned at this, eyeing him strangely, "if you wanted your pillow you could have taken it from me, I don't sleep easily but when I do I sleep deep. You don't need to use your clothes like that," she gestured at the coat he had bundled up at the head of his mattress.

"Oh…well, I didn't think to be so rude," he was not quite sure how to phrase his thoughts. He had not properly talked to a stranger in a long time, and manners were something quite beyond him. All he had were faint traces of what his mother taught him in the past, some deep-seated instinct to treat girls better than he treated himself. It came with having a twin sister like Rin. There were few chances to practice his manners in Neverland, given that the Red Indians were closer to savage beast than civilised humans and the pirates rarely interacted with him anyway. He knew enough to charm his way into things on Earth, but anything beyond superficial first impressions was almost foreign.

Last night, he thought he would have to wheedle his way into getting his pillow back. Perhaps this girl was not as spoilt or needy as Rin was – for, despite his love for his sister there was no denying that between the two siblings, Rin was always the more pampered one. Back then, in his time, boys were favoured over girls in most families, but his mother was quite different from the rest. It was why she wanted a little cottage, all the way out at the cliffs, away from most of the other humans…

She reached over to the bed she used now, grabbing the pillow she said she didn't need, and tossed it right at him. Instinctively he reached out, catching the soft mass in his hand. The material smelled faintly of her. She smelled like isolation – the dead scent of being trapped in one's room, in one's mind. There was an almost sickly sweet fragrance of flowers underneath that, but the mustiness of the isolation he sensed tempered the sickliness, making for a rather pleasant and intriguing mixture.

He wondered if her scent would fade, or if it would permeate his room in time to come. It was an almost heady sort of smell, and he wondered if it would drive him crazy – if he would be forced out of his own room to inhale the fresh scent of the woods. It was a feminine scent, the scent of womanhood – something he had not encountered in a long, long time, for the feminine had little place in a dangerous world like Neverland. Tiger Lily was far from feminine, or at least what he thought of as feminine. She was a warrior, a lithe and dangerous predator, screeching and whirling into battle with skill and arrogance that made her seem no different from her men.

If she was willing to give up his pillow, then perhaps for now he would not need to tell her why he needed to keep his head propped up while unconscious. The less she knew about his weaknesses the better it would be for everyone. "Thank you then," he muttered, letting the pillow drop from his hand to the mattress. She did not respond, and for a while all that remained between them was silence.

It was not the comfortable silence he was used to. He and the Lost Boys were usually silent for they had nothing much to say to each other, having known each other for years and years and years – she did not give him the same sense of calm for he barely knew her. He just knew that she was in some way not like the Lost Boys, not normal like they all were or liked to _think_ they were. She was simply strange. She had already proven herself to be different from the Lost Boys, not just because she was a girl but also because of the time she took to recover from the cave ordeal. She knew the voices of the masters and knew that he was not the most authoritative person on this island. She _knew_.

Tomorrow he would go to Earth, and he hoped that she would not figure out what he was doing there. He already formulated a plan – he would bring back a child and set the child high up in one of the trees, where the canopy would shelter him or her and the branches would not claw the child into the darkness. Then he would return to the den first and bring the Lost Children any supplies he got hold of – usually weaponry like daggers or throwing knives, and sometimes other useful tools like firelighters and matches. Why resort to striking flint when he had the tools of the modern world at his disposal? Though his access was limited, of course. There was no electricity here, and even if there was, he could not possibly bring back an oven or a refrigerator. They made do with what little they had.

The meat they obtained from the Hunt would last them two or three days at most before it started going bad, so they had to act quickly and finish it – not that it would be hard, five boys who were constantly in the frustrating stage between child and adult could eat shocking amounts. Even Piko, the least active of all of them, the one who hunted the least and needed the least food, could eat much more than the average pirate or Red Indian – something the other two ethnic groups were aware of.

Miku was going to have to get used to eating animal meat much sooner than he would like. It always took a while for them to transit between the food of Earth and the food of Neverland. This place was steeped in poison. Something about the food would turn a stranger's appetite off – it was stringier, harder to chew and swallow. And there was a bitter tang to the meat, bitterness that spoke of the sorrow and darkness from which the prey grew and survived. Normally, in the past, he would bring back food from Earth and give it to their latest Lost Child, and slowly, slowly he would increase the amount of food from Neverland the child ate until eventually, they got used to the strange taste.

But he could not afford that now. This process of weaning could take months, depending on personal palate, and they did not have months. They had 29 days left until the Blood Moon, and that was how long he had to build defences against the Flame Wolves. Everything else – food, shelter, customs and traditions – everything else would have to take a back seat. Miku was simply going to have to get used to their ways, and learn as she went along. This time, he could not afford to bottle-feed her every step of the way, as he did in the past. He had to focus on the group rather than the individual, and he would not teach her everything slowly and patiently and risk being underprepared for the coming attack. "Come with me," he said abruptly, turning away from her and heading out of the room. He heard her stumbling behind him, clearly surprised by the sudden command, but following him out nevertheless. She would be put to work, same as the Boys – no exceptions.

Out in the main cave, Gumo and Nero were lazing on the logs, talking to each other in low voices – from the looks of it, they were arguing, but that alone didn't surprise him. Nero was always getting into arguments – something about his brutal, strategic nature made him see the loopholes in every statement other people said and come up with counter-arguments to strike back. Needless to say, that did not win him many friends. What surprised him was that Gumo actually allowed himself to be drawn into an argument with Nero. Gumo was typically the most level-headed out of the four, and he had a sweet, even nature that made everyone like him. Even the pirates talked to him sometimes, when they could be bothered to break away from the rest of their crew and mingle.

"You two, break it up," he knew he sounded more resigned than authoritative, but they stopped gesturing and talking at once, looking up almost guiltily at him. Gumo's green gaze flicked to the girl behind him, widened slightly in something resembling surprise, and then went back to him. Nero ignored the girl entirely. "I'm looking for Rei, and I'm sure you know why. Anyone seen him lately?" he asked, directing this especially towards Nero. Nero was the most sensitive to the comings and goings of the Lost Boys. He was still and observant, ever the strategist, always looking out for weak points and abnormalities. He would be a valuable asset if he wasn't so argumentative all the time. But generally, Nero was fine to talk to, as long as you agreed with everything he said.

"He went out, I don't know where and I didn't care to ask," Nero shrugged, flicking part of his blond fringe out of his eyes. "He's still sore over the creature. You'd think he'd have gotten over it by now, but he's moping like he lost a lover. The thing was trying to eat him, I don't understand what's gotten into his head," his voice trailed into a mutter, and Gumo fidgeted uncomfortably on the log next to Nero – he decided that he did not want to hear whatever Nero was saying to himself now.

He looked to Gumo instead. "Do you know where he went to, which part of our territory?" he asked. If Nero had seen Rei leave the den then perhaps Gumo had seen him too, if Rei departed while both boys were still in the main cave. Gumo looked at Nero, hesitant, and when Nero did not react in any way, he rose from the log and walked towards him. He raised an eyebrow – was wherever Rei going so secretive that he did not want Nero to know? Nero, the ever suspicious, ever hostile one, who fought against his own friends – if Rei was going to mourn, then perhaps it was better that Nero did not know. It was more than likely that Nero would mock Rei for being so emotional. Nero saw sentimentality as nothing but weakness.

"He went to the lagoon," Gumo reached him, leaning close to him and whispering in his ear, ensuring that the surly blond haired boy on the logs could not hear him. "I think he went to pray, or maybe to ask a wish of the mermaids..." he recoiled from the green haired boy at that, eyes wide as what Gumo said sunk in. "I mean, that's just my guess," Gumo hastened to say. "I don't think he's at the point where he would do something so stupid, I mean like Nero said, the creature was trying to eat him. We all know that Rei has the tightest link to his spirit creature among all of us, but to grieve that much over a potential murderer is…well, I don't want to say this, but it's idiotic if you ask me," he shrugged.

"You didn't try to stop him?" he resisted the urge to snap, forcing his voice to be as calm and even as possible. Gumo shook his head, this time a little shamefaced, and he resisted the urge to sigh. He sometimes wished that the other Lost Boys would have a little more initiative – something he had asked of them a few times before but never really saw developing. "He didn't leave too long ago, right? I'll head there now then," he glanced at Nero, who was watching the two of them coolly – he wasn't sure if Nero cared or not about their conversation but he didn't want him to know about his plans. Nero would just forcefully yank Rei away from the lagoon if he was aware, and this was not the time for brusque logic – sometimes, logic had to give way to emotion, there was no denying that.

"Len," Gumo called, just as he started to walk away from them, heading towards the open forest. He turned around at the sound of his name, and Gumo hesitated before shaking his head, retreating. "Just be careful. Rei still isn't in the best of moods right now, and the lagoon…the last time I went to the lagoon, they were hungry. I don't think that has changed," with that, Gumo went back to sit with Nero, though he said nothing to the strategist, simply reaching out with a long stick and prodding at the ash-covered dirt within the stone circle. Nero whispered something to Gumo, but he was ignored.

He knew what the warning meant, but he couldn't just ignore the matter when he needed Rei to share his knowledge about wolves with him. He strode out of the cavern, but stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps trailing behind him. He turned – Miku was standing a little distance behind him, not that far away from the entrance to the main cavern. The still lit torches flickered in their braziers, throwing dark, long shadows across the passageway's walls. "Don't follow me," he ordered, voice sharp and short. "I won't be able to look out for you and look for Rei at the same time. The dark is when the forest comes alive," he glanced past her, seeing the sudden orange flare of light that lit her up from behind – Nero and Gumo must have started up a campfire. She flinched at his words.

"Where are you going?" she asked, voice low. For once, there was no tranquil knowingness in her words – she sounded almost scared. He wondered why she was scared, for she definitely had not overheard the conversation between him and Gumo and even if she did, she would not understand the significance of their exchange. "You look…angry, and I've never thought Gumo could look upset. Wherever Rei's gone, it's somewhere he's not allowed or supposed to be, right?" she pushed lightly, and once again he had to credit her for being far more observant than he could ever have thought possible. He thought a while, about whether or not he should, in this case, give a truthful answer.

But then there was nothing scarier than the truth, was there? "Yes, it's not somewhere he's supposed to be," he spared the few seconds needed to give her a brief explanation. "Gumo suspects he headed to the lagoon, where the mermaids are. The mermaids promise to grant you a wish, but it's always at very, very terrible prices…no matter what you wish for, the price isn't worth it. I need to go stop Rei from making a wish, if that's what he's really doing," he turned away from her, continuing on his way. Still, footsteps sounded behind him, and he looked back, annoyed.

"I don't know much about Neverland, but aren't mermaids supposed to be…well, they're just women with fish tails, aren't they? How are they supposed to grant wishes?" Miku sounded uncomfortably curious, and he hoped that his words had not sparked an idea of any sort. Perhaps she wished to return to Earth. That was a wish the mermaids certainly could grant – but at what expense? The lives of her family? The destruction of her home? The consequences of a wish would never physically harm the wisher – it was mental anguish and pain the mermaids were interested in. They craved a broken spirit, wanted nothing more than to tear confidence apart. And what better way to do that other than by feeding desperation with desperation?

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear about the differences between Earth and Neverland. What you know of as mermaids are not such in our world. The closest term I can use to describe them…they are sirens. Beautiful women with haunted, mournful voices who live and breathe underwater. Their hair is magical – it is sleek and glossy but is never wet. If you burn their hair and inhale the smoke, your next spoken wish will be granted, but you will never know, until it's too late, what the price to pay is. By then you'll wish you never struck up that deal at all, but regrets only come in hindsight so regretting isn't of any use. I've told them over and over again, don't talk to the mermaids…" she looked alarmed now, but she still had not backed off, so he decided to throw in one more titbit for her. "The mermaids also have a distinct taste for human flesh, so I sincerely suggest you don't follow me. If you want to make yourself useful, you can start training with a weapon. Ask Nero for help," he closed the conversation with finality. She looked mutinous for a while, but eventually she turned and went back towards the main cave, leaving him free to track down Rei without impediment.

He let out a soft sigh of relief. He did not lie about the mermaids and their taste for human flesh. They only spoke to those they deemed worthy of their time – and that was determined by battle. If you lost to a mermaid, they ate you, disregarding how desperate you were for a wish. He did not fear Rei being eaten, though. He feared Rei doing something he would probably regret in the future.

"Is an animal worth it?" he muttered to himself as he hurried along the passageway, heading out to the hole that led up to the surface. Of course, there was absolutely no confirmation right now that Rei was at the lagoon, but Gumo seemed to think the worst, and…he would rather be safe than sorry. Rei had always seemed to prefer the company of animals to humans anyway. The Lost Boys were kin, the bonds of brotherhood forged deep in the hostile environment of the forest. Yet many times before, he had caught Rei sneaking out of his bed in the day and roaming among the wolves, them treating him and resting with him like he was one of their pack, a little wolf just like them...

He stepped back into the portal, feeling the familiar suspension, though knowing this time he was heading up rather than down. It took mere moments before he was clutching the edges of old bark, the wood rough and calloused underneath his fingertips. He waited in the shelter of the portal for a while, gaze habitually scanning the area for signs of movement and danger. When it seemed clear that no one would leap out at him right then and there, he relaxed slightly and leapt down to the ground, turning towards the direction of the lagoon. There was no trail, nothing to indicate where Rei had gone, but he trusted what Gumo said and headed towards there anyway. The lagoon was in the opposite direction of the heart of the forest, situated at the very edge of their territory.

The previous time he and Miku left the den, he had taken her down another path, a path with a normal exit. The passageway simply led up to the surface, though it was well-concealed by shrubbery and leaves and only the Lost Boys could, given their familiarity with their territory, locate this second exit. The second exit opened up much nearer to the heart of the forest and therefore the masters' territory, which was where he wanted to bring Miku then and the sole reason why he chose that route. Normally, the Lost Boys preferred this portal, which was nearer to the main cave.

Slowly, he made his way deep into the forest, relying on nothing but the moonlight and sheer, simple familiarity to guide his way. The light of the moon, in contrast to the weak and watery sun, was strong and bathed the ground in a faint, ethereal glow. He would have called the night lovely if he was not already disillusioned by the true horrors of the darkness here. Insects chirped within the foliage – there was the occasional shriek of a bird of prey, and other times the distant, warning growls of wolves when he came too near their territory. He never saw the shape of the grey wolves, but he heard their mournful howls, and once he saw a pair of glowing, reflective eyes. But he did not fear them. In his territory, the only being to be feared was him, and the animals respected him.

He had been here for so much longer than them, after all. Still, he kept his hand firmly on the hilt of his dagger, prepared to reach out and strike at a moment's notice if any sign of danger ever presented itself. In the forest of Neverland, especially at night, there were dangers far worse than wild animals and long shadows. There were malevolent entities, beings of the mind, which came out and tried to lure you into the unknown. Will-o'-the-wisps and all manner of strange things that danced mesmerizingly through the trees and into your heart and soul. Perhaps on Earth, ghosts did not exist, but in Neverland they certainly did – ghosts of the past, present and the future.

The moon was high in the sky. He looked up at it, trying to gauge how much time he had left till dawn. The canopy shrouded part of the bright, blind orb, but it radiated enough light for him to make it out through the shroud of black leaves. He hoped to make his way to the lagoon before the moon started to set, because once it did, he could be almost certain that he was too late.

* * *

"Len didn't let you follow? That's not surprising, it's a dangerous place, you know. The forest at night," Gumo spoke quietly, staring into the orange flames of the dancing fire. Miku was huddled up facing both Nero and Gumo. Nero was playing with two pebbles, tossing them between his hands.

"Dangerous?" Nero snorted. "As long as you have a good hunting blade and don't go stumbling through the bracken, attracting the attention of every nocturnal hunter out there, you're perfectly safe. Out of all of us, you're the only one who faces any danger when it comes to being out there. Especially alone," for the first time, Nero addressed her directly, his violet eyes piercing right through her. He had eyes like precious stones, hard and cold and unbreakable. She could feel his gaze freeze her, reach down into the very core of her being, leaving her immobile and gasping.

"That's probably why Len asked you to help train her," Gumo replied, taking one of the pebbles out of Nero's grip and tossing the stone into the fire. It landed right in the middle of the flames, a grey rock that seemed to glow red in the heat. "I mean, who else better to get her ready for the attack? I'd say Rei actually," Gumo said thoughtfully, earning him an aggravated look from Nero, "but since he's not around right now…you're the next best, I suppose. The most aggressive one out of all of us, aren't you, Nero?" he asked the blond haired boy, no hint of humour present at all in his question.

She was, by now, accustomed to Nero's stinging, caustic remarks. He had a tongue that lashed out at any flaw, any weakness in logical argument. His words flayed the very dignity from your bones. It didn't mean she liked it, but she realised that it didn't mean he had anything in particular against her, though at first it had felt that way. She realised that his sharp, sarcastic tongue did not spare Gumo either, and after a while, she realised that he was at his most bitter whenever they were talking about Rei's disappearance. She wondered if it was his way of coping with the situation.

Given his temperament, she fully expected him to retort, arguing that he wasn't aggressive at all, but he didn't so much as respond to the statement, instead looking for another pebble to replace the one Gumo had taken. Did that mean he was, in fact, violent and aggressive, and that everything she observed and everything Gumo said was not mere exaggeration? Should she be careful around the person who was going to train her to survive? She was intimidated by the mere possibility.

"Maybe you two should get to work," Gumo said, after some silent moments passed between them. Piko had not come out to join them, and she was somewhat thankful for that – she wasn't sure if she could handle the silver haired boy yet, given the events that transpired just earlier in the day. "Time is precious now, isn't it? Funny, that we're immortal yet still face such time constraints. You'd think we have all the freedom and luxury in the world, yet we still slave ourselves to the death like ants, constantly working to survive. You'd think that for people who can't die, we wouldn't have to work so hard, so fast – we wouldn't have to be so wary all the time," Gumo mused, more to himself than to her or Nero, though both of them could hear perfectly well every word he was uttering.

"If time was a luxury, Gumo," Nero barked out a short, sharp laugh, "then we would be the poorest peasants in the world," he patted him on the back, and Gumo sighed. Nero turned his gaze upon her, and she resisted the urge to recoil from his piercing stare. "All right, Hatsune Miku. Let's see what you got. Maybe your skinny arms actually have a little muscle to them – we'll never know until we actually put you to the test, right?" his voice was even and neutral. She said nothing, but when he rose from his seat, she followed. Gumo glanced up at them, looking faintly concerned.

"Don't push her too hard, she's probably never seen a hunting knife before, let alone know how to use one," he spoke to Nero, though his gaze remained fixed on her. Nero just laughed again, this time sounding slightly more humane, before he shook his head and looked at her as well. She wanted to cower under their combined gazes – one worried, the other calculating, but she did not want to show these boys any sign of weakness, so she pretended she was looking right back at them, though in truth she was merely staring at the wall right behind their heads. She learnt this trick when she was young, how to appear as though you were meeting someone's gaze when you were actually looking behind them. It was what helped her become such a good liar. She could lie when she wanted to, but she had not lied in a long, long time, because she had not spoken to other people.

Now she was among other people, again returned the compulsions, the urge to look away from and at people at the same time, the urge to twist their words against them – the urge to employ her lies as her only defence in a world where nothing was what it seemed to be. "We have no time for being gentle or for being patient. We have a month till the Blood Moon, and that damn soothsayer predicted that's when the animals will come and set fire to the area around our den. Who's going to look after her if she's left behind by the rest, unable to defend herself? You? And risk having to recover from third-degree burns – risk her dying?" Nero snorted, and she felt confused. Why was it that Gumo would suffer from injuries, while she faced the possibility of death? What made him different, what made her more...mortal?

Some part of her refused to fully take in his words and give in to the emotional trauma his words summoned. That same part of her listened with the distance of a bystander, simply listening and understanding and processing, not acknowledging that he was directly referring to her. She just focused on the questions her mind conjured at his statement, rather than focusing on the scenario he introduced – the scenario where she died. Because she did not want to die, not just yet anyway.

"Yes, yes, you're right," Gumo admitted, sounding reluctant. "You're always right, aren't you, Nero?" she could not tell if this second sentence was meant to be sarcastic or not. Either way, Nero didn't acknowledge it in any way, striding past him towards the passageway that led out from the main cavern. He jerked his head towards her, clearly indicating for her to follow him, and she hesitated, not really willing to just step blindly behind him into the darkness. She had no idea at all what he had in store for her, and honestly his personality was not the most likeable either. She could tolerate his caustic words for now, but if she had to stay in his company for long and continue listening to his spite, she wasn't sure how long she could last.

"Hey, you'll be fine. I'm sure you're already aware that Nero has a rough tongue, but he makes good on his word and he always acts with honourable purposes, though his methods might not be the most acceptable," Gumo saw her hesitate and picked up on her unwillingness. "You have little time left to toughen up, Miku – all people from Earth start off weak, and honestly as a girl, you already have a natural disadvantage compared to us. You aren't as strong," he leant forward, picking up a long stick and throwing it into the fire. The flames roared, consuming the wood. "But you have mental strength I do admire. Sometimes I wonder, if I hadn't been so young when I first came here, if I didn't have the ability to lose myself in daydreams and forts of my own creation, would I have gone insane after I realised this world for what it really was? Possibly. But you didn't, and that's admirable."

She felt a warm glow at being praised by him, though she was aware that he was just nice and any compliments he paid her should be taken with a pinch of salt. "Maybe it's just because I have seen demons when I was on Earth, demons locked away inside my own head. And now that I've come to Neverland, where demons dwell not in my head but in the forest, I've never felt freer. I no longer feel trapped within a reluctant body," she said slowly, testing the words on her tongue to feel the truth within them. It surprised her that what she said did not have the same heavy cloyingness of a lie.

"That's good. Good to know that one of us actually feels better being here rather than there, huh?" he left his hands on his knees, watching her curiously. She wanted to respond – whether with gratitude at being part of an 'us', or with defensiveness for she would not call this experience 'better', overall – but before she could open her mouth and decide, Nero called out for her from within the passageway, voice echoing into the large cave. She flinched. He sounded impatient.

"You'd best go," Gumo waved her away, green gaze returning to the dancing flames. "Nero does not like to wait, and he makes exceptions for no one, not even Len. Many a time Len has been shouted at for not showing up on time during a Hunt," Gumo smiled at this, though the smile was wan and somewhat forced. "If there's anything you need, Miku," he added, still not looking at her, "you can just let me know. Len asked me to look out for you, since I'm the closest to you age-wise. The others are all older. And honestly, you can come to any of us if you have problems, we'll be glad to listen. It's been a long, long time since we last had someone new to talk to," his voice softened, becoming a whisper. She was surprised she could even hear him. Nero shouted again, and she hurried away from Gumo.

His words had reminded her uncomfortably of what Piko said – about loneliness and not having someone else to talk to. It made her wonder how long she would have to stay here – it made her wonder if she would join their band of loneliness, simply waiting and longing for the day Len returned with another doomed child to swell the slowly growing ranks of the Lost Children.


	11. Chapter 11

The moon was high in the sky, and the lagoon waters rippled quietly against the shoreline.

Len stood and watched from a safe distance, watching the figures of women slink through the darkness, some in the water and some reclining on rocks, faces tilted up to bathe in the moonlight. They were beautiful women, but sometimes if you looked at them from the corner of your eye, you could see the illusion break, revealing decomposing bodies and hollow, grinning skulls.

He could not see Rei, but that did not mean the boy was not in the vicinity. He would have to be absolutely certain that Rei was not here before he was comfortable with leaving, so he stepped slightly closer to the lagoon, trying to make out the fuzzy, indistinct shapes on the far side, near the waterfall. There were humanoid figures there. Was one of them Rei? He could not tell.

As he got closer and closer, the heads started to turn in his direction, mermaids who had heard him or smelled the scent of human flesh. He was unintimidated, finally slipping out from the forest to reveal himself. By then, all the women were staring at him. They were all pale-skinned and inhumanly beautiful. None of them had fish tails, unlike mermaids on Earth. Their silken hair glimmered in the moonlight, lightening dark hair and turning blonde hair silver.

"Kagamine Len," one of the women swam up from the depths of the lagoon, breaking free from the surface and propping herself against the shoreline. She smiled alluringly at him, but the only thing he could focus on was the sharp canines in her mouth, able to cut and shred through flesh as easily as a blade through paper. "To what do we owe the pleasure? Do you, perhaps, want to make a _wish_?" the last word lingered in the air long after the initial sound faded, a word that whispered a promise.

"Not today," he replied evenly, maintaining his gaze on her though he kept a constant lookout for movement in the vicinity. "I have told Syrena and her sisters before that I will not make a wish, not even if my life depended on it. The prices that you and your kin charge are too high for me, I'm afraid, and I cannot afford them," he smiled apologetically in the face of her annoyance, her fangs baring as he rejected her proposal. "Where is my dearest Syrena anyway, if I make ask?" he continued the conversation, trying to keep the attention of the mermaids for as long as possible.

The woman shrugged, hoisting herself out of the waters entirely to sit on the sandy beach. She combed her long, waist-length hair with her pale, thin fingers, and the strands glinted like spun silver underneath the moonlight. "Sleeping," the woman said carelessly. "We know not where she is. She could have gone out into the forest for all we know, she can take care of herself and her sisters. When she leaves, I'm in charge," she fixed him with a cold stare. "Myariah, at your service, and with my sisters," she swept one graceful hand out towards the other four women surrounding her. Then her eyes narrowed. "If you are not here to make a wish, Kagamine Len," she started, "then pray tell us, why are you even here at all? To challenge us to a fight? You know you might not win."

"I am peaceful, and my Lost Boys and I have better things to worry about than a group of mermaids. You can't even travel too far from your lagoon without drying out anyway," he answered evenly, ignoring her hiss of irritation. "I am…looking for something," he did not want to let them know about Rei. If he really was not here yet, then he would move on and keep looking. The less the mermaids knew about their affairs, the better. In fact it might be for the good of everyone if the _kararehe_ came through here and evaporated the lagoon. Then they wouldn't have to keep sharing their territory with the mermaids, who only feasted on human flesh and saw humans as nothing other than meals.

"Looking for something?" Myariah's interest was piqued, and she stood from where she reclined, water droplets falling from her naked body. Her skin was pearlescent and luminous, and she seemed to glow in the darkness. Her eyes were a frigid blue that, coupled with her light, silvery-blonde hair, made her look like an ice princess – every inch the opposite of the mermaid queen, Syrena. This was the first time he had seen Myariah, and he wondered why that was so. It was not the first time he had visited the mermaids, after all, though he tried his best to keep the visits to a minimum. "What are you looking for, Pan? Lost love, riches, immortal life, to never grow ill or old or die?" her eyes glittered. "But that makes no sense, for you are immortal and ever young, are you not?" she smiled.

"Yes, I am immortal, and you know it," he stared right back at her, and after a while she looked away, conceding defeat to his stronger will. "All of you know it, and all of you know that it is by _my_ mercy that you're still staying in this lagoon. I am immortal, and while you are long-lived, you are not, and you can die. I could have killed every last one of your species centuries ago, and I did not. You all are indebted to _me_ ," he addressed all the mermaids now, looking at every single one of them, and none of them met his gaze. "If a Lost Boy ever comes here to make a wish, then you are not to grant it, do you understand me? For if you do," his voice lowered, "I will kill all of you."

Myariah's eyes were glittering with understanding. "Oh, of course," she crooned, "we will listen to the one who so mercifully spares our lives. But what if the boy you are thinking of," she smiled, and the other mermaids swam around in the lagoon, seemingly agitated, "has already been here and had his wish granted, long before you made the proclamation? I think that is most unfair for us, don't you agree, Len?" her voice was sweet and lilting, asking a question that was not a question. The implications of what she said sank into his mind, and he stilled, understanding what she meant.

Suddenly, he lunged out, grabbing hold of Myariah, who spat and screamed and tried to bite his fingers off. His grip was firm though, and his arm pressed against her throat, pressing her wet, naked body against his – bare and completely vulnerable, for the mermaids, despite their predatory nature, had smooth, soft skin that was as easy to hurt as a human's. His other hand gripped the dagger, the blade pressed against her throat. She continued struggling, and the blade sank deeper into her flesh, drawing black blood. She stilled at the sting, chest heaving, the blood trickling down her neck.

"So you granted his wish already then? Cut off a lock of your cursed hair and burnt it?" he breathed in her ear, feeling her smooth, dry hair against his bare arm. "Who? Who gave the hair?" he asked at large now, watching the other mermaids. When he grabbed Myariah, the other mermaids reacted, some of them climbing up from the lagoon to confront him – but when his dagger drew her blood, they stopped moving, a small circle of angry women surrounding him and his hostage. None of them did anything to acknowledge his question, and Myariah started to laugh breathlessly, mocking him.

He pressed the knife down, and more blood spurted out, a mess of black, thick and viscous, dribbling down his wrist. She screamed now, a scream of rage and pain, and there was a collective moan as the mermaids around him reacted to their sister's fear. "I'm asking again," he hissed, "who was the one who sacrificed part of her hair for the boy? Who did it? Answer so I can kill you," he felt like he was losing control of his emotions and the calm he tried to surround himself with, but it did not alarm him at all – it felt so good to not have to care about being civilised. A corner of his mind felt thankful that Miku had not come, for he didn't want anyone else to see him being so unlike himself. "Better one of you dead rather than all your kin – and I will kill all of you if I don't get my answer," it was not a blustering threat, for the women knew he was capable of carrying out what he said.

Myariah's arms were creeping up to her throat now, his grip tightening around her neck, beginning to suffocate her. He ignored the way her fingernails clawed at his arms in her desperation for air – the wounds would heal, and his controlled fury made him immune to the pain. "Watch your sister die then, and watch all your deaths come to you," he said simply, as they all continued maintaining their silence. Myariah let out another shriek, an inhuman sounding shriek of pain and now outright terror as the blade sank, slowly, deep into her neck. The gargled screams choked off halfway, and then with one final sweep the head came clean off and her head bounced onto the ground, eyes still wide in hatred and spite. Her headless body collapsed to the ground, glistening with moisture.

There was nothing but silence for a while, then came the collective wail of mermaids mourning a dead sister, their song weaving through the trees. He was not affected by the beauty of their music, and the sadness in their funeral dirge did not reach his heart either – he was so old and so embittered that all he could think of was getting rid of the noise and punishing them all for hurting one of his Lost Boys, and potentially harming all of them, himself included. The head's silvery hair was falling out quickly now, dissolving rapidly into dust, and the more he watched, the more Myariah's coldly beautiful face decomposed, turning into the skull it really was under the illusion.

However, before he could raise his blade and set to work killing the rest of the mourning mermaids, a new voice rang out behind him, regal and commanding enough to shake him out of his murderous rage. "Kagamine Len," the voice said sternly, "you have killed one of my subjects, and you'd best have a proper explanation for that," at the sound of the voice, the mermaids stopped their song, all turning to face the newcomer. Slowly, he turned around too, already knowing who addressed him.

There stood Syrena, the queen of the mermaids, flanked by two other mermaids – her personal bodyguards against killers like him, though honestly they wouldn't be of much help if he really decided to sneak to the lagoon one day and murder them all in their sleep. "She – Myariah – was being uncooperative," he responded, lips curling into a snarl. He knew he was behaving more like Nero than himself, but it was not just anger that fuelled him now – there was desperation too, and fear of what would happen to Rei and to the Lost Children. Were the _kararehe_ not enough of a problem? Now, they might have to deal with the unknown curse of a mermaid's wish too.

"In what sense?" Syrena regarded him coolly. Syrena, unlike Myariah, was imposing, her very posture alone enough to command attention and respect. She was naked just like the rest of them, but in her long, wavy brown hair there was a small crown fashioned out of coral. Her eyes were brown too, a dark brown that was softer and more empathetic than Myariah's icy blue eyes. He honestly preferred dealing with Syrena, and thought that perhaps he might not have killed one of the mermaids if he had been speaking to the queen from the start. Not that he regretted murdering a mermaid, since their very existence was a threat to his Lost Children…to all of Neverland, actually.

"I told the mermaids not to grant any wishes to any Lost Boy who might come to them. Myariah told me that they already granted one, a while before I arrived at the lagoon. When I asked her who granted the wish, she simply mocked me," he shrugged. "None of the other mermaids would respond to the question, and she was being…frustrating. Besides, I'm quite sure I did you a favour," Syrena arched an eyebrow at this proclamation, and he turned back to glance at the head – it was grinning eerily back at him, reminding him of Myariah's mocking smile. "It did not seem like she was particularly fond of you. She claimed to be in charge when you were not around, and the last time I checked, you did not have a second-in-command of any sort. You could have been facing a mutiny," he explained. It was a truth, though of course that was not the reason why he killed the mermaid.

"Myariah has always been an angry troublemaker. Whenever I am in the lagoon waters, she would stay out in the forest, refusing to be in the same place as me. Vice-versa when I leave the waters," Syrena acknowledged. "But it is not sufficient grounds to murder one of my sisters, Kagamine Len. You know that you should not have given in to your anger like that. We understand that we are weaker than you, and you let us live and continue our predatory ways because of mercy – but is it not also, in part, because of desire? You keep us alive in case you ever have a wish you want to fulfil, a wish you want so badly that you would risk the consequences for it, just to see it come true. You disagree now," she noted his look of disgust, "but deep down, you know it is true. That is human nature, Len. Humans do not have mercy. They only work for their own ends. You are no different."

He wanted to disagree with that. He did have mercy – he would never keep the mermaids alive for anything else. The thought of him one day having to make a wish – it was utterly ridiculous, he would never be so desperate. But when he opened his mouth to refute her statement, he found he could not speak. Syrena continued looking at him knowingly, and finally he swallowed and closed his mouth, deciding to change the topic. "Think what you will of humanity and myself, Syrena, but that is not the reason why I am here today. You know why I'm here. I told you already. That," he gestured back towards the skull – her body had already decomposed into nothing – "was an unfortunate consequence, but I can't say that Neverland would mourn the loss of one mermaid."

Syrena looked at the skull, her face impassive. She walked past him and he turned around, following her every movement with his gaze, just in case she decided to do anything to punish him for his deed. She spoke, loud and clear, in the language of the mermaids – a language seemingly composed almost entirely of mono-syllabic sounds and screeches – and almost instantly, two mermaids swam up from the lagoon waters, picking the skull up and disappearing into the forest. The other mermaids responded to their queen in the same animalistic language, chattering and shrieking over each other until the noise reached almost unbearable levels. Before he could give in to the urge to cover his ears, the din suddenly, abruptly stopped, leaving his ears ringing. Syrena sighed audibly and faced him once more. He waited for her to speak, and for a while, she did nothing but look at him. He wondered if she could read minds, if mermaids had more powers than he knew.

Finally, she opened her mouth, and when she spoke, her voice was heavy. "Myariah was toying with you. There was never any boy here, you are the first human we have seen in a few years. I suppose you could say she got what she deserved. I, too, was never fond of her, but from what my sisters tell me, her death was painful and brutal and you should honestly reflect on your actions, Len," her gaze searched his. "You were calm and composed in the past; nothing could rattle you. You would not have killed without exhausting other methods first, not even in this case. Something troubles you, and I know. But what?" she came closer, her fingers reaching out towards him – those pale fingers almost touched his face, and he resisted the urge to recoil, staying as still as he possibly could.

"You feel…cursed," she murmured, closing her brown eyes. "Cursed by those who are not like us, other beings of the forest who are far more destructive than we mermaids could ever be," her eyes opened, and now she looked faintly worried. "Whatever your problem, Len, it has nothing to do with us and we would not aggravate your troubles either. Do not forget that we share the same territory as you. If you are in danger, it would not be long before we might be harmed too," she paused. Suddenly, her hand reached out, forcefully grabbing hold of his chin and forcing his face closer to hers. He flinched – her fingers were icy cold, and he could feel her frigid breath wash against his skin. "Do not forget! The _kararehe_ are dangerous once provoked, and only water can save you from flame. Do not kill my sisters and I. Predators we might be, but we are of the water, and you might well need our help to salvage your situation," she released him, and he could breathe again.

"How do you know about the _kararehe_?" he couldn't help but ask, calming his beating heart down. Syrena never displayed this uncanny ability of…what was it? Prophecy? He did not know. But she had never displayed any powers besides the usual mermaid strength and the magical power to grant wishes before. She simply smiled, a knowing but unknowable smile, and withdrew from him.

"We mermaids are more than flesh-eating monsters, Len, despite what you and your Lost Boys think of us. We are nature, we are part of the forest. We know things," she said simply. "And we can feel the taint of the Flame Wolves upon you. It makes us recoil. Their pungent odour of fire is…something we cannot withstand. I can help you – not through a wish," she hastened, noticing how he tried to speak up against her suggestion, "but through knowledge. If you want to fully turn the _kararehe_ away, the best way is to seek out the water _kararehe_. They can stop the flame. And may you prevent the wolves from ravaging the forest, for if they do, nothing will ever grow here again, and you and your Lost Boys will starve forever, unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to die," she intoned.

It was a grim image. He thought, in this case, it might not hurt to follow a mermaid's advice. "Where do I find the water _kararehe_?" he asked, guessing they might have an idea. Like Syrena said, they were creatures of water, weren't they? At this question, however, the queen looked troubled.

"I don't know," she replied. He gritted his teeth, prepared to accuse her of withholding information, but she shook her head empathically. "I would not lie when it concerns my sisters' safety. We do not know where the water _kararehe_ dwell. One clue we can give you, however, is that the _kararehe_ all make their home within the heart of the forest, where the magic of Neverland is at its strongest. Perhaps there, you may find the answers you seek," she inclined her head. "For now, that is all we can tell you, and it is time for us to leave. The moon sets," as she spoke, he glanced up – true enough, the moon was beginning to sink, and the horizon glowed faintly with dim sunlight. He turned back to thank her, but when he looked down from the sky, all he saw were ripples in the lagoon. The mermaids, every single one of them, were gone, leaving him alone on the beach.

He came out here looking for Rei, and failing to find him. However, he had gained some valuable information, and that lifted his spirits slightly as he prepared to make the trudge back to the den. He did wonder where Rei was though, if not at the lagoon. Where in the forest could he possibly be?

* * *

Akita Nero was born in the middle of a particularly harsh winter, a foundling left wrapped in the thinnest of blankets on the steps of the local orphanage. He almost died that day – he had been left there in the night, and a normal baby should have died – but he managed to survive the cold.

Because of that, because of the amazing fact that he had not frozen to death during the course of the night, the people at the orphanage who took him in named him Nero – in their tongue, a language that had long disappeared into the black hole of time, it meant 'heaven-sent'. The people believed he was blessed by God, a tiny abandoned child meant to survive. And survive he did.

He did not know where the name Akita came from. He just knew that from young, he was Akita Nero. The caretaker told him where Nero came from, but resolutely said nothing when it came to the Akita name. He wondered if, perhaps, when he was a baby, something more than just a thin blanket had been wrapped around him. Something like a letter that explained the circumstances of his birth, who he was, where he came from, and why he was abandoned. He never knew because the orphanage staff never told him anything, and gradually, over time, he learnt to stop asking.

He knew he was different from the rest of the children. The children in his town were all black haired and olive skinned, eyes brown and lively. He was different – he had golden hair that glimmered in the cold sunlight and eyes like amethyst, like purple jewels. It made him pretty, but it also made him exceedingly different, and he was always aware of that. He was so painfully aware that he avoided the other children when they played outside, always not wanting to draw attention to himself. He knew once he joined them, they would openly stare and point, talking about how different he was. They always asked why he was so unlike them, and he would always have no idea how to respond.

Keeping to himself most of the time, he developed a fascination with biology, particularly with the dissection of insects and, as he grew older, dead rats and birds. He learnt the best and quickest way to kill vermin, and became the orphanage's resident rat catcher, especially after their cat ran out into the streets and went missing. It made him happy for he felt like he had a use, and he was distracted from constantly asking himself why he was different, why he was a _freak_ , and why his parents had abandoned him. All the other children would wonder to themselves occasionally, when they were sad, about why their parents left them here, but Nero obsessed over this to the point where it got unhealthy. He always thought he was inferior, that he wasn't good enough. He got defensive and stubborn for that was the only way he could cope with the negative thoughts and emotions.

One day, when he was sitting by himself next to his room window, rocking back and forth and looking out at the grey sky – it was winter again, a harsh cold winter that made him recall his birth and his discovery, and that naturally made him wonder again why he was unwanted – when all of a sudden, he saw a head pop up outside his window. He yelped and fell back, scared, because his room was on the third floor and there was no way someone could just show up outside his room like that. But his fear quickly became fascination, because for the first time, he saw someone with the same golden hair as him, someone whose eyes weren't warm brown – they were clear blue, and that was as unseen and strange in these parts as his violet eyes were. He openly stared.

The stranger smiled, beckoning for him to open the window, and in utter shock he did. The stranger then slipped inside his room, for he had been _flying_ , and he shook the snow off himself, the white powdery substance melting away into puddles of water on his room floor. He introduced himself as Kagamine Len, shaking Nero's hand, and he stared up at this older person in absolute wonder. He revealed his name, the name whose origin he did not know, and Len patted him on his head.

Then came the words that changed his life forever – " _Would you like to go somewhere far away?_ "

Now, Nero looked at the girl who had followed in his footsteps, who had come all the way to Neverland and abandoned the life she knew before. "Your aim is poor," he observed, "and your strength is obviously lacking. You're going to need to train up a lot more before you can even be trusted to hunt your own food, let alone defend yourself against a pack of bloodthirsty wolves," as he spoke, she tossed another dagger at the target he set up for her. The dagger didn't even make it to the target, flying in a downward arc that ended on the floor midway to the target. She sighed.

"I'm trying," she seethed through gritted teeth. The two of them were currently at the target range, where the new Lost Children practised their aim and accuracy with throwing knives, and learnt how to fight at close range. "It's just so difficult!" she exclaimed, grabbing hold of another dagger and throwing it with more anger now. The dagger flew a slightly further distance than its predecessor, but that did not impress Nero. She reached out to grab yet another, but he stopped her, his hand wrapping around her wrist. She whipped around to face him, her eyes wide in surprise.

"You're just wasting effort and strength if the only thing fuelling you is anger," he stated in his usual brusque, straightforward manner. "Despite popular opinion, simply placing a mental image of someone you hate and tossing daggers at that image does not help at all with accuracy. If you want to aim properly, you have to know your weapon. Feel it. It has to be a part of you – you have to treat it like it's not just a tool, like it's an extension of your body. Watch this," he grabbed five throwing knives from the table, and with an expertise born of years and years of non-stop training, he threw the daggers in quick succession at the five different targets situated around the room. Each blade found its mark in the very centre of the target, the hilt still quivering ominously from the force of the impact. The girl, Hatsune Miku, stared in amazement, looking at each target in utter disbelief.

"Wow," was all she managed to say. He did not smile, instead going towards each target and retrieving the throwing knives. He also went to the target she was using to practice and picked up all the knives – four of them – which she had thrown and had gone anywhere near the target. Miku had thrown ten daggers so far. Only four of them actually landed in the right direction. One of the daggers had gone so off course that it almost impaled him, and he had been standing a considerable distance to the left of her target. He decided she could pick up the other six herself.

"There's no 'wow' to it," he stated when he returned to the table, dumping the various blades on the worn surface. The table was made by Piko, who was quite handy with wood and tools, and could make basic chairs and tables as long as he had a chisel and hunks of wood at his disposal – and also provided he was not severely injured at the moment, of course. "It's a matter of practice. Just practice day after day after day. If you practice constantly for a month, you might just be good enough to hit a moving target – not a bullseye, I guarantee, but at least it won't be as abysmally off-mark as it is right now," he pointed towards the dagger in the wooden post, the one which had almost stabbed him. Admittedly, the blade hit something, though it was ridiculously inaccurate.

She seemed ashamed. "I've never had to learn any of these before. How long did it take for you to get this skilled?" she asked, picking up one of the daggers again. She did not throw immediately this time however, instead balancing it on her palm carefully. He hesitated here – he rarely ever stopped to think when it came to conversation, and his sharp tongue had drawn offence many a time, but this time he stopped himself because he knew that Len did not want them to reveal their ages to the new girl yet, for fear she would be unable to accept the truth. Yet, how could he tell her the truth about his regime if that was the case? He forced himself to throw daggers and wield blades for an entire century, training outside of his normal hunts and battles. It was why he was such a good marksman. If he lied and told her just three or four years…that wasn't long enough to hit his level of marksmanship. Perhaps with arrows, you could train within three years, but not for throwing knives.

"Eight years," he finally said, settling on a more believable duration. "And plenty of hunts to get it right too. Hitting a moving target is infinitely harder than a static one, so before you even think about going out to hunt, try and focus on hitting that first," he pointed towards the circular mark before her. "I'm not even asking you to hit dead centre. Just get the knife into the target itself instead of letting it drop on the floor, and I'll be satisfied enough to call it a day," a hint of impatience snaked into his voice now, and she flinched at his words. He wondered if her reaction was because of what he said, or if she sensed the dogged weariness in his tone. Maybe both?

"That's a long time," was all she said in reply, turning away from him and focusing on the target. She let the blade fly, and this time it flew far enough to _almost_ hit the target before it clattered onto the floor. She sighed in frustration. "Coming to Neverland was a huge mistake," she muttered, folding her arms and leaning back against the table. "How is anyone supposed to help me train up within a month? I don't want to die. This was not what I signed up for," she said irritably, still not looking at him. The words she said triggered his argumentative nature, and he called her name, causing her to turn around and look at him. She looked weary. But he knew she did not know true tiredness.

"If you stand around waiting for someone to _help_ you train, you're never going to get anywhere," he said scathingly. "You have to train by yourself whenever you can, no matter how impossible it seems. Do you really think all of us got this good by just moaning about how difficult it is? We got here as children. We were worse off than you are. And still we trained, because we came here to get away from our circumstances at home. I won't say the same of the others, but what I have here is better than what I have on Earth. I wouldn't choose Neverland over Earth, but this place has helped me to grow and develop from the child I was to who I am today, and I like who I am now. You made a choice," he paused, "so get used to your choice. You can either lie around and whine all day about how difficult your life is and how much you regret coming here, or you can learn to make a change."

He didn't stop to see her reaction to his words, instead walking away from the room. He was tired of standing here and listening to her complain anyway. But as he left, he heard again the soft whisper of metal cutting through air, and thought that perhaps his words did have some effect after all.


	12. Chapter 12

The grey fur was coarse between his fingers. He stroked the wolf's head absently, fingers twining through its thick pelt. The wolf let out a soft whine, laying its head down on its paws.

"Must be nice to be an animal," Kagene Rei whispered to the wolves around him, circling him and watching him curiously. He looked up at the moon, starting to set. He ought to return to the den soon, but he didn't feel inclined to do so. If he went back, he had to deal with politics and Len questioning him and honestly, he wasn't up to either right now. "You don't have to worry about anything other than just hunting and surviving," he continued, "and when mating season comes, you breed. And when you've lived out your life, you die. It's not complicated, not like human beings."

The wolf he was petting almost seemed to understand him, shifting its head to rest it on his lap. He was sitting against the trunk of a tree, in some part of their territory – he didn't know where nor did he particularly care. He just ran through the forest, still unable to deal with the onslaught of emotion – he hated showing emotions to the others, and he had to get away from the den before he broke down completely – and, while he was running, he grew aware of the wolves running with him.

He ran and ran, and they ran with him until he stopped and he couldn't run anymore. He collapsed under the shelter of this tree and remained there, eyes closed for a while, as the wolves circled him, perhaps sensing his grief. He didn't mind showing feelings to the wolves. They wouldn't judge him the way human beings would. It was sad that he felt more comfortable being himself around animals rather than his own kind – he felt better being around known predators than people. But then, weren't humans the most dangerous? They were the ones who could lie and deceive, after all.

"I need to go," he clenched his fist firmly in the pelt one last time before he got up from the forest floor, stretching – he only now realised how stiff he was after sitting here for so long. "I'll see you next time, perhaps," he told the group of wolves, who silently parted and allowed him to slip past them back towards the den. He instinctively knew his way back, some subconscious part of him having taken note of the way he ran earlier. He knew he had to find Len and explain himself to him, but that was the least of his worries right now. He had an issue with that girl…Hatsune Miku.

He was actually scared of her. No, not of her really. It wasn't that simple. He was more scared of himself. All this time, he was seen as the coldest, most controlled among their group, even more so than Len. Len was calm and even-tempered, a fair and neutral leader. He, on the other hand, was just cold. He didn't allow himself to flare up or lose control in any way, be it both in happiness or anger. This was the first time that tight control had cracked at all, in years and years, and he hated himself for that. He couldn't allow himself to be emotional. The nuances of emotions were something _human_ , and he had never felt like he was very human. He wished he didn't have consciousness.

All traces of emotion had been beaten out of him three centuries ago, after all. He smiled half-heartedly, hands tucked into his pockets as he ambled back towards the den, the leisurely pace completely different from the frenzied, out-of-control running that took him throughout the forest earlier. "The night is calm," he said aloud, hearing the crackle of bracken underneath his feet. There was never anything for him to fear when he was out in the forest. "I would even say peaceful, but then we all know there's nothing peaceful at all about Neverland," he continued, eyes closing.

But then the thought of the girl came to mind again, and his eyes flicked open, his teeth gritting. He wasn't scared of her, no. He was scared of himself – most accurately, he was scared of the reaction she elicited. Perhaps it was because he had never really seen women before, and the few times he did they were always weak and helpless, completely submissive. They were like _prey_. It had always made him feel uncomfortable for he didn't share the same view, but this girl made him think of tearing into her and devouring her. She smelled…so different, so tempting. She smelled like warmth and flesh, femininity and vulnerability. He could imagine himself ripping her apart with his teeth.

And then if he did that, Len would probably kill him. None of them had any idea what would happen if they ever killed one of their own, for they just naturally assumed that none of them would ever fatally wound another Lost Boy. They were so close, after all. They depended on each other for survival. So he had no idea what would happen in the case of murder within their group, and they never _had_ needed to know. Now, however, he felt like he needed Len to tell him outright what the consequences were. He needed to know that he would be killed if he harmed Miku, because he felt like if she stayed around him for too long, she would be in very real, physical danger.

Earlier, he already knew the moment she was outside his room, hesitating about coming in. He could smell her. Out of all five of them, his senses were the most developed and the most predatory. And he could smell the alluring, enticing scent of _meat_ right outside. He was shocked at himself, at the notion that he would see her not as a human being but as a meal. How could he? But the animal within, the part of him that functioned not using human values and beliefs but through pure animal instinct and hunger, salivated for a taste of her flesh. It wanted to know how soft it would be, how tender it would be. It wanted to devour her entirely. And that absolutely terrified him.

He allowed her inside his room because he thought this was just a passing thing, that he would be more than capable of controlling his impulses. However, the longer she spent in his room, the giddier he felt about her presence, her intoxicating scent. And when he touched her, when he leant close to her and could feel the warmth wafting off her skin, he almost lost control of himself there and then. He almost sank his teeth into her neck. That was when he acknowledged, unhappily, that there was a problem with him. He couldn't be in the same vicinity as Miku without hurting her, he was sure about that. He had little confidence in his own ability to restrain himself.

She was the reason why he went to find Len earlier. It wasn't about the strategies they needed to discuss to ward off the _kararehe_ , though that was important – he didn't deny that. But he wanted to find Len to talk about his little problem, which he felt was a whole lot more urgent than a bunch of wolves attacking their den. At least the attack would take place within a month. Miku was here, in the den right now, and so was he. Any day he could snap and lunge at her, and then what would happen? Would they have to fight to restrain him? Would he end up killing someone in his strange, entirely unexplainable bloodlust? He twitched – no, he didn't want to kill one of his brothers.

Damn it. This was all that girl's fault. It didn't help that she slept in Len's room, which was right next to his. He was sure that the longer she stayed in the den, the more her smell would permeate Len's room – and then he would be able to smell it too when the wind changed direction. It would drive him absolutely crazy. He decided that either Miku moved, or he moved. There was no way he could stay in the same area as her without someone being put in danger, he admitted in annoyance.

It was just that he never thought she would face any danger from _him_. He was the most reserved, the coldest, the one most in control of his emotions. He wasn't just some blood-crazed beast out for flesh and blood. He always thought that people would face more danger from Nero, from Piko, from Len even, but never him. He would always use logic to guide him – he was a strange mixture of animal instinct and human logic, though he sometimes wished he could discard the latter and just live a relatively happy and carefree life, guided solely by instinct. He chose logic over emotions because emotions were weak – Nero during an outburst of anger was a prime example of this.

The Lost Boys were all dangerous in some aspect, every single one of them, even Gumo. But he always took pride in being the least impulsive, the least… _dangerous_. She changed his perspective, and he didn't like that at all. He hadn't scented her or felt any predatory instinct towards her the first time he saw her in the den, or the second time, after the Hunt – probably because he hadn't been close enough to smell her. So when he scented her in his room…he was utterly shocked, and that shock was what saved her, because the shock rendered him immobile for long enough to suppress the predatory instinct. He could have killed her right there and then.

'Rei," Len's voice was quiet, but he heard it clearly over the crackle of bracken and dead leaves. His head whipped around, looking out for the blond haired boy, and spotted him resting in the crook of a branch, head leaning against the trunk. From here, it looked like his eyes were closed. "Where did you go? Gumo told me you went towards the lagoon, but when I got there, you weren't there," he sounded perfectly calm, voice even, but he could feel the tension in the words and knew that if Len even remotely suspected him of lying, he would be in… _deep_ trouble. He sighed quietly.

His thoughts about Miku and the problems she posed must have distracted him enough that he didn't notice Len nestled up in the tree. She was even making him lose focus now. He had to pull himself together – he couldn't possibly become so confused and upset over a mere girl. She was only an infant compared to him, after all. "I didn't say I was going towards the lagoon, Gumo assumed wrongly," he tried to make himself sound as neutral as Len. "I said I was going out for a walk. Maybe I just looked upset enough for Gumo to assume I was going to do something stupid. But I'm fine and whole, aren't I? I listen to what you say, Len. We all do. None of us would ever make a wish…if we wanted to, we would have done it in the past when we realised we were stuck here," he laughed bitterly.

Len remained silent for a while, and he continued looking up at the tree where his leader was lounging. Those blue eyes met his, hard and piercing – almost questioning, but he refused to allow himself to be questioned or probed, his expression giving away nothing. Finally, Len inclined his head and leapt down from the tree, walking over to him. The two boys were the same height, and when Len stood before him, they were eye-to-eye. "I don't know what you're doing, Rei," he hissed, voice low, "but whatever you're doing, it has to stop. We can't just have you going missing like that when we're expecting an attack soon," his tone softened slightly. "Why were you looking for me? Miku told me you came to my room just a while before you left the den?" he sounded questioning.

He flinched when he heard Miku's name. She was the second ever person whose name could elicit such a reaction from him. The first was his father. _But everything's okay, the old man's dead now_. The thought floated through his head, and he relaxed just marginally, a little smile flitting over his face. Len stared at him, still waiting for an answer, and he took in a deep breath, trying to find suitable words to describe his problem. "I…I have to talk to you about Miku," he started, exhaling through his nose. Len raised an eyebrow at that, clearly interested, and he swallowed.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous, honestly. But then it had been a long time since anything last threw him off-track. "What about her?" Len pushed, when he stopped speaking, taking a pause to collect himself and draw together his thoughts. "Is there a problem? I didn't think that you two had interacted enough for you to really find a problem with her…no, I wouldn't have thought you had a problem with anyone at all, Rei," his leader tilted his head, still waiting for an answer. It was just making him more nervous. He could sense Len pushing him, and he hated being pushed. He hated having to say anything when he didn't want to speak. But he had to.

"I can't stay in the same area as her," he let out in one breath, words hurried and almost incomprehensible. Len blinked, then frowned, obviously not having managed to catch the whole sentence. "I can't stay near her," he repeated himself slowly this time, and Len's frown deepened. He opened his mouth, obviously about to ask why, but Rei cut across him before he could ask. "It's not important why, all right? It's something to do with my spirit animal. I can't be near her. I can't smell her scent. If I do, I might hurt her…I might try to eat her," he spat, a sudden rush of anger engulfing him at his lack of control, this feeling of hopelessness that made him feel so weak, so pathetic – feelings that he thought he would never have to experience again.

Len seemed speechless at this sudden, uncharacteristic outburst of feeling. He turned away from Len, kicking a nearby tree in his frustration. A shower of leaves fell upon him, and he snarled in fury, shaking the dead leaves off his shoulders. He probably would have started attacking the tree if he didn't feel Len's firm grip on his arm, suddenly restraining him. He breathed, in and out, tempted to jerk his arm free from Len's hold, but felt the warning squeeze Len gave him and knew to remain still. "I know how you feel," came the quiet voice, making his eyes widen. He looked around at Len.

Len's blue eyes were shadowed with a frustration that reminded him of how he was feeling right then. "She's in my room, right? And I know exactly how you feel about her. It's the scent, isn't it? Something about it that makes you want to attack her," he laughed. It lacked humour. "It affects me too. Not quite as badly as you, but it certainly makes me feel heady. She is a very special girl," he mused, letting go of his arm. He groaned – he had wanted a solution, reassurance that he was normal, that the problem was the girl, not him – he had not wanted Len to admit that he had the same kind of problem. "And what I can tell you, Rei, is that avoiding her will solve absolutely nothing," Len spoke a little louder now, capturing his unwilling attention. "You'll just be all the more affected by her the next time you come into proximity with her. Is that what you really want?"

He knew it wasn't. Those words brought to mind an uncomfortable possibility – that, if after five months of avoiding the girl, he ran into her again, he might very well lose complete control. Perhaps Len's words held reason within them. Perhaps it would be better for him to slowly get used to her scent instead of avoiding her totally – but the thought of that was, at best, unappealing. He didn't want to let the girl know he was affected by her this way, and he especially did not want her to look at him with fear in her eyes, the same sort of fear usually reserved for predatory animals. He wasn't a cannibal or anything like that, he didn't want to eat human flesh – so it should be safe. Right?

"Maybe, well, the sort of problem you have…" Len sounded uneasy now, much to his suspicion, "maybe it's the sort of problem that Piko would be better at explaining?" he offered. Rei stared, unable to understand for a while. Len coughed. "You know…what he likes to do with his spare time," he continued vaguely. Understanding dawned, and he made a face of disgust. Len reacted defensively, stepping back and raising his hands, palms facing outwards. "It was just a suggestion," he explained himself, "I mean, you haven't seen a girl in forever, you're the oldest…maybe you have a problem."

"I have no _problems_ , thank you very much," he barely restrained himself from snarling at his leader, forcing himself to sound reasonable. "Unlike Piko, I don't have the urge to procreate with every single female who happens to cross my path. I had enough of that with the Red Indians and the experience wasn't something I felt the need to replicate. I'm perfectly fine with my current state, thank you very much," he strode past Len, heading back towards the den. Len fell into step easily beside him, ignoring the suppressed anger radiating from the black haired boy.

It was very strange for him to see Rei reacting this way to anyone or anything. The boy was always calm and collected – in fact, he prided himself on being that way. He believed that emotions were useless, and was quite the opposite of Nero, who believed that anger and fury helped greatly with emphasising his points during an argument. Seeing him in such a fluster over the new girl made him think – were the other boys affected in similar ways? Nero and Gumo seemed perfectly fine, and Piko was always glad to have girls around. Rei seemed to be the only one facing this issue with Miku, and it was a problem that he somewhat identified with himself. Not that he liked the thought.

He wouldn't go so far as to say he had the exact same problem as Rei. He certainly didn't feel the urge to eat Miku, though her scent did make him feel heady and slightly disoriented. However, he told himself that it was just because he was unused to having a female around him for so long, and in such close proximity. He was sure that once he got used to her presence, her scent would be nothing other than an irritant, a background issue. Rei, surely, would get used to her smell as well. He did start considering their living quarters, however. Should he separate the two of them?

"Fine," Rei suddenly spoke up from beside him, breaking the tense silence between them. "Let's assume that I'm really facing the…same sort of problem…as Piko," he could hear the distaste rolling off his tongue. "Let's just say that is the case. Her scent drives me crazy. What about you, if it affects you too?" Rei turned to face him, golden eyes meeting his, hard and knowing. He froze in his tracks, not knowing how to feel about the implications of Rei's question. The dark boy stopped at the same time as him, and the two of them just stood there in the middle of the forest, staring at each other.

Affected him? Could it? No, that was impossible. He was too old to still be interested in matters of lust and physical gratification. "I'm more than six centuries old, Rei. Do you really think that I'll be interested?" he answered with satisfaction – satisfaction because he could come up with a way to argue against Rei's conjecture. The alternative – that he really could be lusting after the girl – was just too terrifying to think about. It was terrifying because she was sleeping in his room, and he was only now realising just how close she was to him, just how easy it would be for him to go to her while she was dreaming and just…do it, let her think it was all just part of her dreams…

No, he couldn't think that way. He was the leader of the Lost Children, and he was in some ways their father, the one who protected them from the true perils of Neverland. He could not think of her that way – if he did, he would be plagued by guilt whenever he looked at her. "That's just what you say," Rei answered simply, knowingly. "Piko's quite old too, isn't he? So why is he still so addicted? Age has nothing to do with it. If I have a problem, Len," Rei said, voice ringing with finality, "then so do you. And as our leader, I think that's something you have to think about more than I do. At most, I'll take to the forest to avoid her. Can you tell me that you could do the same?" he shrugged, taking the silence as an answer. Rei then set off by himself through the undergrowth, leaving him behind.

He was left behind to ponder about this very uncomfortable issue, and the more he thought about it, the more he grew aware that he was with a girl, physically around the same age as him, and she was in his room, on his bed. It made him consider possibilities, both good and bad, and he let out a snarl that sounded rather like Rei's, reflecting the same frustration. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed his dagger and threw it at a nearby tree, the sharp blade piercing straight through the thick black bark, the hilt quivering ominously. Why did Rei have to draw up such a connection – why did he have to make him think about this? It had always been lingering on the edge of his conscious mind – her feminine scent and how it made him feel, how it made him dizzy. Her _femininity_ , her obvious vulnerability. Now, Rei's words brought these lingering thoughts to the front of his mind.

He exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. "You have the experience of ten lifetimes in your head," he whispered, closing his eyes and concentrating on his words. "You won't be affected just because a girl has shown up in your room and because you still have the lustful thoughts of a teenage boy. You're older than that, Kagamine Len, and you're better," the more he spoke, the more he grew convinced and the more he relaxed. No, he couldn't possibly be lusting after Miku. She wasn't even that attractive to him. He preferred girls to have a little more meat on their bones. Miku was a few kilogrammes away from being a walking skeleton. "Isn't it all so easy?" he breathed, still talking out loud to himself. He walked over to the tree, retrieving his dagger. The blade left a gash in the wood.

He sheathed the dagger at his hip, then returned his attention to the gash, fingers dancing around the edges of the angry wound. "Sorry," he whispered to the tree, his fingers rubbing lightly over the bark. Then he turned and continued on his way back to the den, following the path Rei had taken. Everything was in order, all of the Lost Children were now accounted for. On to other things.

* * *

"I didn't know the Lost Boys got a new companion. A girl to boot," Kamui Gakupo drawled, his feet propped up on the table, taking a swig from the rum bottle grasped in his left hand.

"Why, Gumi not enough for you?" Hook asked with amusement, his quill scratching away on his logbook. He still kept a diary of sorts, even after they all ended up in this accursed place. Gakupo never understood the point, it wasn't like they were going anywhere new, and every single day was exactly the same as the previous day anyway. "She's a pretty young thing," Hook mused, more to himself than to his First Mate now, "I'd love to talk to her. But judging from things, I don't think Pan would allow anyone who wasn't a Lost Child to get near to her at the moment. It's a pity."

"And you speak of Gumi," Gakupo said indifferently. "Are you sure _you're_ getting enough? I don't think I've ever heard you express interest in a member of the opposite sex before. In fact, I was under the vague impression that you're gay," Gakupo drank his rum again, chuckling to himself. Hook resisted the urge to roll his eyes, scribbling away in the logbook. He was sure that they had almost found a way out of this place. He just needed a little more time, a little more probing…

"I think I have more pressing things to think about than women," he answered simply, finishing his last letter and placing the quill back in the ink well. Gakupo raised an eyebrow at that, getting up and leaning back against his desk. Hook was used to his First Mate's casual, almost haphazard behaviour. The man could be serious and intimidating when the situation called for it. Otherwise, he was a remarkably jovial man. _No point being depressed. Neverland is foul enough on its own_ , Gakupo said once when Hook asked what his secret to happiness was. Gakupo's forced cheerfulness was impressive.

Hook, on the other hand, was a depressing man through and through. He didn't believe in trying to be happy when the situation gave him nothing to be positive about. They had been stuck here for years – his forefathers and his ancestors all here, living here and dying here. He was part of the fifth generation of pirates who found themselves stuck in Neverland, and he didn't want to remain here till he died. He was determined to find the route his ancestors had taken to enter Neverland. Captain after captain had attempted to find this mysterious path, but either Neverland changed its shape or the captains simply forgot the route, because none of them ever managed to discover the escape.

No matter how much they sailed, no matter how far they went out into the horizon, they always ended up back at the shores of Neverland. It had not taken Hook long to realise that they were just sailing around repeatedly in circles, and decided that it would be better that they remain grounded than waste manpower and effort on trying to sail to nowhere. "There is nothing that should grasp the attention of men more than a woman," Gakupo declared in response to Hook's absentminded proclamation. "Sex, my friend, is what we live for. What other reason is there for Man to be placed on this Earth? If you do not seek pleasure, my friend," Gakupo took a deep swig from his emptying bottle, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "then you are only wasting your life away."

Hook shot Gakupo a droll look, closing his logbook with his hand. With that same hand, he took his loose notes off his hook – he had a habit of using his hook to hold on to pieces of scrap paper – and shuffled them together, slotting them in behind the logbook cover. "You forget that we're not on Earth, my friend. We're in Hell," he said simply, pulling open a drawer and tucking the logbook safely away inside. "And in Hell, maybe we have to play by different rules. Besides, you and I both know that if I were to leave my cabin and crook a finger, all the women will fall over themselves trying to get to me," this was said without any hint of pride or arrogance. He was simply stating a fact, and they both knew that. Everyone knew that whoever bore the Captain's child would have a comfortable life compared to the other pirates, so every woman wanted to have his babies.

And this, unfortunately, was one reason why he had yet to choose someone to…get together with? There wasn't exactly any marriage among the pirates – no bonds of promise or exclusiveness. Each man and woman on board his ship could sleep with whoever they wanted, start a family with whoever they wanted. It was common for children to have one or more other half-siblings. There weren't enough of them to have exclusive families anyway, unless they started taking in refugees from the Red Indians. Hook, however, did not want to have anything to do with the native people. He had turned away a number of refugees because they all knew the princess would hunt them down and wreak havoc for taking in what she called "the traitors". Hook did not fear Megurine Luka, but he was tired of putting up with her unreasonable nonsense and sought to avoid the trouble.

He did, however, sometimes wonder what happened to the refugees. He sincerely doubted that Pan took them in – the boy had enough problems of his own trying to manage his group of youths. Hook knew that they were all older than him, so youths wasn't the right term to use, but whenever he saw their band of silent killers he could only think of them as children. They looked so young, barely out of their teens. It was hard to imagine them as having lived for decades, some even centuries.

"Whatever you say, Hook. Look, there you go preaching about Hell and celibacy again. That's why the ladies call you a damper, you know. That's why you find it so hard to get laid," his First Mate replied flippantly, completely disregarding the seriousness of his words. "You need to go out and get a life, my friend. You've barely hit your twenties. Need to start thinking of creating a heir soon, you know? Won't be good to have a mutiny on this ship," Gakupo winked lasciviously. A small corner of Hook's mouth tilted up, amused by the possibility, but he refused to allow Gakupo to see him smile. He didn't want the First Mate to start thinking it was fine for him to make lewd remarks.

"I don't need to 'get laid', as you put it," he said sternly, pushing himself away from the desk and rising from the chair, walking over towards the cabin door. Gakupo followed him at once, as was his habit – the Captain was rarely ever seen anywhere without his First Mate. The two of them were great friends, and the First Mate was the only one who knew his true name. Hook considered his name something unimportant – he discarded its usage from the very moment he got his right hand chopped off. His hook defined him, so the hook became his name, and it remained that way ever since. He was ten when he lost his right hand, and had almost forgotten his real name since then.

"That's just what you say," Gakupo shrugged. "You're too laden with responsibilities. Ever since we were kids you've been a serious little captain, trying to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Too bad your mom left the world early, isn't it?" he mused. "Maybe if you hadn't been brought up alone under your dad's iron fist, you would know what fun really is," he shrugged again. Hook stilled at the mention of his mother – it had been two decades since she passed, but the memory was still raw and painful, and it was also unforgettable, seared deep into his memory. Because it was all his fault.

"Don't talk about Lapis," for the first time, his voice was cold. Gakupo looked up at him, startled, and Hook met his gaze calmly, evenly, the only hint of his anger in his words. "You know she's not something I like to discuss. If you see me as a friend, rather than a captain, then don't bring her up," he unlocked the cabin door, stepping out into the light. But before he could leave and step onto the ship's deck, Gakupo's hand gripped his shoulder, preventing him from moving. He resisted the urge to rip his friend's fingers away, forcing himself to stay still and listen to what he wanted to say.

"You can't keep running away," his voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "If you keep avoiding your faults then you're never going to get us out of here, _Shion Kaito_ ," the name was spoken in a whisper, and he flinched at the sound of his birth name, mind almost instantly rejecting acknowledgement of that identity. "I'm going to find Gumi, I told her after last night that I would come to her today, and she would miss me," Gakupo went back to his usual jovial self. "Have fun doing…whatever it is you like to do by yourself, Hook," he stepped past him out of the cabin, leaving him immobile.

 _Wise words, but words alone rarely spur any action_. Hook slowly retreated back into the cabin, locking the door behind him. He changed his mind about facing the rest of the crew. Perhaps it would be better if he took some more time alone. There was no point, after all, in going out to face the rest of the pirates if he had no purpose among them, and especially if he had nothing to say.


	13. Chapter 13

"Make sure they can't see the other entrance," Len rubbed his eyes, exhausted. He was running on minimal sleep the past few days, and it was starting to take its toll on him. Piko obediently went off to the entrance, holding piles of firewood. It was only after he left that he allowed himself a yawn.

"Len!" a girl's voice rang out, and he instantly whipped around, teeth bared slightly in self-defence. Miku drew to a stop, staring at him curiously, and he breathed, realising who he was talking to. Ever since that night he and Rei talked about their similarities, he had been feeling a little anxious about being around Miku. He knew there was absolutely no way he could be attracted to her, but the mere possibility of that made him fidgety. He didn't want to spend too much alone time with this girl.

"What?" he forced himself to respond. She continued staring at him, obviously wondering what was wrong with him. He knew he was acting unlike himself. "Go on, we don't have all day," he snapped brusquely, and she shook her head slightly, still staring wide-eyed at him.

"I know you're stressed, but you should really get some rest," she said haltingly. He scowled, knowing that wasn't the main reason why she was speaking to him – Miku could hardly be bothered about his welfare. She sighed. "Nero told me to look for you. He said that he found something in the forest – he just came back from hunting and he…he needs to see you," her voice faded and she shuffled her feet uncomfortably against the floor. He blinked, shaking himself slightly – he had been staring with a half-frown on his face the whole time, and he knew he probably intimidated her.

"All right, I'll go find him. Where is he?" she pointed him down the passageway from which she came, and he strode past her, somewhat glad to be out of her suffocating presence. He wondered where Rei was – the boy, ever since their encounter in the forest, had been avoiding both him and Miku. It was definitely time that Rei stopped trying to leave the den whenever he was around.

Other than Rei though, the other Lost Children were doing their work. Piko was doing all the things related to woodwork, as usual – he had a natural affinity with wood and trees, and even the forest of Neverland seemed to treat him marginally better than it did the others. Piko was the one who was usually able to find berries and herbs and other natural materials, while the rest of them struggled to find even a single flower. It was probably something to do with his spirit animal – the new boys always laughed at Piko in the past, but after realising how important he was, they stopped.

Nero and Gumo spent most of their time in the forest, hunting prey. Nero brought back the quick-footed deer, and Gumo everything else. The two of them were the best hunters – both of them were quick and silent in the forest, and could crush prey easily with their overwhelming power. Nero, too, was gifted with throwing knives and weaponry, and he could bring down the animals so much easier – though they generally tried not to use blades unless they were being attacked by predators, rather than prey. The wolves usually left them alone, though once or twice they had been attacked by the creatures. The attacks usually occurred in the dead of winter, when the forest was covered and the animals and the Lost Boys both were starving. Winter was a long, harsh period for the forest.

Then finally there was Rei…Rei did as he was told, fortifying the area and making sure the local wolves would sound the alarm for them when the _kararehe_ came to attack. But the orders for him to follow were usually conveyed through a third party, because Rei was never around whenever he went looking for him. It was honestly getting on his nerves, because if he didn't know better he would say the boy had a guilty conscience – yet he hadn't done anything wrong yet, had he?

If he continued avoiding Miku this way, he would end up being the weak link in their chain, and he would not stand for that. "You were looking for me?" he spoke as he emerged from the passageway, where Nero was leaning against the wall, running a hunting dagger up and down his palm. The blond haired boy looked up at the sound of his voice, the blade resting against his skin. He looked grim.

"I found a carcass of a wolf," he sheathed the dagger at his hip, folding his arms across his chest. "The eye sockets were hollow…what little fur it had left was red. I think it died a while ago...you know what that means, don't you?" Nero looked gravely serious, something that he wasn't used to since Nero usually had a snarky grin on his face. But the situation called for such seriousness. From what Nero said, another _kararehe_ , another Flame Wolf, had died, and this time right in their territory.

"Where?" he demanded, and Nero hesitated. He scowled, instinctively knowing that something was wrong – that maybe Nero had been somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. "Show me," he said softly this time, yet sounding no less dangerous for that. Nero, for once, remained completely silent.

Then he turned away. "Follow me," he said after a pause, "it'll be a long distance to travel." With those words, he started walking down the passageway, and he followed, suspecting that something was up with the carcass. Nero rarely hesitated, and anyway there shouldn't be anything wrong with letting him know where the carcass was if it was located right in their territory. It crossed his mind that perhaps the _kararehe_ wasn't actually located in their territory – that Nero had been trespassing. But if that was true, then where was the carcass? And if it wasn't in their territory, did it matter?

* * *

Gumo was tired of hunting. He was tired of always being outside with Nero, who got crankier and crankier the less sleep they had. And he was tired of Rei acting like a tragic, self-declared outcast.

The person in question was now sitting on a tree, and he had been ignoring Gumo for the past…he had no idea how long he was here, but it was definitely more than half an hour. He was perfectly aware that Rei was not, in fact, sleeping, and could hear every single word Gumo said clearly. The boy just chose to ignore him. Coming from someone who was over two hundred years older than him, Gumo expected a little more maturity. But it didn't seem like he would get it any time soon.

"I know about your problem," he tried this angle again, since talking about Rei's issues had caused one of those amber eyes to open, just for a quick second. Rei totally ignored him this time, probably used to Gumo's tactics by now, but he pressed on. "You know that avoiding her isn't going to solve anything. Why are you even doing this to yourself?" he demanded. "What are you trying to achieve, Rei? It's bad enough that we have to prepare for the _kararehe_ ," he fumed, "we don't need any more crap from you. If you're going to just…stay up in your tree, you can go fuck yourself. I'm serious!"

He hadn't meant to cuss. Gumo was the good boy. He never cussed, but for once he didn't regret doing so. It felt good, yelling up at that still, silent, resolute eldest. He was behaving completely unlike himself. Surely his _problem_ alone wasn't the only cause of that, was it? Rei was supposed to be strong and responsible. He was the leader when Len wasn't around to fulfil his duties. This was not the behaviour of a leader, nor was it the behaviour of the Rei he had known for decades.

There was a low chuckle, and slowly, Rei opened his eyes, looking down at Gumo. His black hair was dishevelled, leaves scattered within the dark depths – it looked like he had perhaps spent the entire day in the tree, sleeping there too. It would explain why Gumo hadn't been able to find Rei in his room this afternoon, right after waking up. He had wanted to invite Rei to hunt with him since it would be a blessing to be able to get away from Nero, who was being remarkably acid-tongued these days. When he saw the dark boy was already missing, he decided to go out and look for him.

"You swore," Rei sounded amused, his voice slightly hoarse – from disuse? Gumo hadn't seen the boy around much the past few days, almost a week. "You know in all these years I've known you, I only ever heard you swear twice. The day you turned, and just now," he leant his head back against the tree trunk, laughing throatily. "Funny that I'm happy you cursed at me, kiddo," he continued serenely, as though Gumo was not standing right there and glaring at him, "I didn't think that I would like anyone cursing me at all. But hey, what do you know? Our Gumo grew a backbone!"

The last sentence sounded like something Nero, rather than Rei, would say, and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "Well, I never thought you would be the one running away from your problems. I didn't think any of us would do that," Gumo retaliated, and Rei looked up again, shooting him a sharp look. He continued anyway. "I really looked up to you as a leader, you know. I mean, we all have our flaws, but…you're logical, aren't you?" he asked. He received no reply. "So why are you letting this girl get at you? You wouldn't…you wouldn't eat her, not really. You know that, Len knows that, all the Lost Boys know that. So have some faith in yourself, Rei."

Rei darted down from the tree, and suddenly Gumo's collar was tight around his throat, and Rei was remarkably near his face, teeth bared in anger. Those amber eyes were blazing with unfamiliar rage. "What has Len being telling you all?" he hissed, voice full of venom. His fingers were gripping his shirt. "That I'm weak? Pathetic? That dear Hatsune Miku is too much for me to handle? That I have cannibalistic tendencies?" the last few words were snarled out. Gumo was too stunned by this change to say anything, and he listened helplessly as Rei shook him like a limp rag doll. "Whatever he said, it is not true. I have my reasons for wanting to avoid her, all right? And I am not avoiding the den because of her either. There are things I need to do in the forest. So leave me alone."

He let go, and Gumo rubbed his neck, feeling blood circulation there resume. He turned Rei's agitated words over and over again in his head, pondering over what they implied, while Rei went back to facing the tree, his folded arms showing that he was definitely still angry. All this was a little hard to take in, because Gumo had never seen Rei so emotional before. Rei used _logos_ instead of _pathos_ to communicate. He didn't rely on outbursts, like Nero, or emotion and sympathy, like Gumo, to get his point across. In that aspect he was more like Piko, though Piko was never as cold as Rei and was, at times, easily swayed by his desires. So Gumo didn't understand Rei's way of thinking, and he didn't think he could ever understand either – but he knew that he could, at least, try.

 _If I was an angry lone wolf_ …well, he wouldn't like that his territory was invaded by another person, but Rei had put up with three other Lost Boys before and nothing of this sort ever happened. Was it really just because she was a girl? "Why do you want to eat her?" he asked, genuinely curious. Rei flinched, and he hastily added, "Len said that you didn't want to, of course. Just that you admitted to him that you really want to eat her. Like, devour her, not just…you know, sexually," he stressed on the last word, feeling a little awkward about discussing this with someone so much older than him.

"I don't know," Rei admitted quietly. He listened with bated breath, not wanting to interrupt whatever spell was in place – the spell that made Rei actually talk more about this topic that was so taboo to him, and let him admit that he didn't actually know all the answers. "Her scent? Don't you all smell it? She's _different_. She reeks of vulnerability and tenderness. I know that if I tear long strips of flesh off her bones, they'll be soft and they'll melt in my mouth. And I'm always so hungry nowadays," this part was said even softer, and Gumo had to strain his ears to pick up the whisper of words in the wind. "No matter how much meat I eat, I remain hungry. I don't know for what. But I think…I felt…if I remained near her, my hunger might overwhelm me. She doesn't deserve to die in such a way. And even if you all restrained me at that time, wouldn't it be already too late?"

That was true. Miku still had much to learn about self-defence. If Rei really pounced on her now, there was a low chance she would be able to survive, especially if he found her in some isolated passageway and he suddenly gave in to the animal instincts that all lay within them. Gumo knew that his fear was logical – yet at the same time, it wasn't. "Yeah, but you wouldn't give in to your impulses," he said confidently, and Rei looked up at him, startled. "You might be a wolf, but you're human too. And didn't you always say that logic trumps instinct and emotion, that you might make use of animal senses but won't allow them to rule you? Like I said, Rei – you should have a little more faith in yourself," Gumo reached forward hesitantly, patting him on the shoulder.

Rei's laugh was dark. "Perhaps it's a sad thing to admit that even after all these years, I have little faith in anybody. Let alone myself," he shook his head. "It's for everyone's sake, Gumo. This is something new, and it's never happened to me before. I don't want to test my limits now when we're three weeks away from attack," his tone was bleak. "We'll see how well I can really control my impulses when the attack is over and we're slightly freer to do what we want. Anyway," Rei ran a hand through his hair, dislodging all the leaves, "what are you doing here? Len doesn't let anyone just come out and roam around now, not with the _kararehe_ as a threat. Shouldn't you be hunting with Nero unless you have a message to pass to me?" Rei seemed completely oblivious to the fact that _he_ himself was roaming around freely now, completely disobeying Len's orders. Gumo snorted.

"Nero is a pain in the ass, he can hunt by himself," Gumo said dismissively. "I was on hunting duty with him again today and he almost made me change, he was a total asshole. Yeah, we're all stressed, but he doesn't need to talk down to people all the time. It's like he thinks he's some kind of untouchable god, which even Len doesn't dare claim to be," he shook his head. A corner of Rei's lips curled upwards at this description of Nero's usual snarky attitude. "I wanted to hunt with you instead but you were missing. I figured I'd look for you and catch prey at the same time – killing two birds with one stone, right?" he shrugged. "So…do you want to go hunt?" he asked after a pause.

"Fine. Just a little. But I'm not coming back to the den yet," Rei shook his head, sighing. "I don't believe I can last long around her without wanting to sink my teeth into her. Her scent…" he groaned. "It's like a damn sign, telling me that here is fresh meat, free for the taking, and I should really get some. It's sickening, the urge to eat another human being. Do you think that's who I really am?" for once, Rei sounded a little vulnerable, turning to someone else for reassurance. His expression was grim. "Am I more wolf than human? I ask myself that every single day."

"You're definitely human through and through," Gumo answered firmly. "If you were more wolf than human I bet you would have tried to eat us ages ago. We've lived together for years and no incidents have happened, so why are you worrying so much?" he shrugged. Rei didn't seem to be convinced, but he nodded and followed Gumo into the forest for his hunting duties. Gumo was just relieved he had a partner who wasn't Nero – but still. Rei's problem would need a lot more than just his amateurish counselling attempts. Maybe forcing him to talk to Miku directly would help.

"No, it wouldn't," Rei said dryly from behind him, making him flinch in surprise. The dark haired boy had always had an uncanny knack for guessing exactly what other people were thinking. "At least not so soon. And it's not just about me – can you imagine if you've been here a week and one of your den-mates comes up to you and admits he wants to eat you? If I were her I might just run out of the den into the forest. And die, because I wouldn't know enough to survive out here alone."

Rei made a good point, Gumo acknowledged. "Well, you can't just hole up here forever either," he pointed out reasonably, looking back at the boy. All he got in return was a challenging look – an expression that, very clearly, said " _Why not_?" and Gumo knew that there was no logical argument he could come up with that Rei could not counter, so he didn't even bother to try.

"I appreciate your efforts," Rei said out loud, though that same challenging expression made him wonder if those words were genuine. "I'll return when I want to. You should worry more about yourself, Gumo."

"Why?" Gumo was truly surprised now, failing to see why there should be any reason for him to take extra care. He wasn't the one semi-surviving out in the forest, and he certainly had nothing to fear from Miku, not like Rei. In fact, the only problem Gumo was facing now was the _kararehe_ , and that was something all of them were in danger from, not just him. Gumo was fairly sure that this period could be considered relatively calm for him. He would even say happy if the threat of starvation did not linger so ominously over their heads. He had visions in his sleep, of the forest on fire.

"Because _Len isn't sharing everything you think he is_ ," came the soft whisper, and Gumo stopped in his tracks, turning to face Rei, rather shocked. The dark boy had stopped too and was staring right back at him, golden eyes curiously vacant. He looked possessed. " _You know he has his secrets, but do you know how many of his secrets involve you? And he fears letting you know – letting us all know, because we will abandon him if we know…_ " the voice that hissed through Rei's teeth was distinctly animalistic, a mixture of snarls and words, more canine than human. It was so unnerving that Gumo actually backed away, and started to question if Rei really was more wolf than human.

Rei's words, a low, inaudible muttering now, suddenly choked to a stop, his amber eyes widening in something almost like horror at an unseen object in the distance as his fingers reached up to claw at his throat – and then just as suddenly, he collapsed onto the forest floor, completely unconscious, leaving Gumo in stunned, unmoving disbelief for a while. Then it registered that his friend and den-mate had just fainted, something which never happened before, not to any one of them. And also prior to the fainting he was acting strange and saying things…maybe he really was possessed. Strange things roamed the forest after all, like what Len told them. He cast all the panicked thoughts aside as he knelt next to Rei, testing his breathing, trying to find a pulse in his neck and his wrist.

He felt a faint, fluttering beat in Rei's wrist, and sighed in relief. It was strange, but he was fairly sure that when he first saw Rei he wasn't so pale nor did he look so…weak. Something almost seemed to have drained the boy of his life energy, and he would appear dead were it not for that very faint pulse, for he couldn't even see the rise and fall of his chest. He had to tell Len about this – he hesitated. But then what Rei said about Len keeping things from them…was it true, was it something he should take note of? It was ridiculous to even doubt Len. He was, after all, their leader.

Gumo couldn't deny his curiosity about why Len always seemed to spend so long on Earth. The supplies and things he brought back usually didn't warrant such a long stay away from Neverland, at least in his personal opinion – he hadn't seen Earth in decades, so he didn't know what the planet was like now. But he trusted Len enough to believe that he wasn't doing anything detrimental to their welfare. No, whatever Rei said before he passed out was just…just the ramblings of someone possessed, some entity which, for whatever reason, disliked their leader. It couldn't mean anything, right? He knew better than to trust something he couldn't see, didn't know, never acknowledged.

As he knelt there, thinking to himself, Rei groaned softly, his wrist twitching in Gumo's grip. Gumo instantly let go, and Rei started groaning louder, his hands reaching up to grasp at the air – he seemed almost like a drowning man struggling to the surface of the water. Gumo just sat back and watched, not knowing how else to help, and finally Rei drew in a deep breath and his eyes flicked open, panting heavily. "What…the hell...just happened?" he demanded, between breaths.

Gumo told him his account of the events, and Rei scowled, shaking his head as he took the information in. "No way. I can't have been possessed, it's…it's not late enough for the will-o'-the-wisps to come out yet. And I'm old enough to ward off a spirit attack. All I remember was…suddenly losing control. The world turned grey, and I could hear the sound of my own voice speaking, but it didn't sound like me. Then suddenly there was a bright burst…of red…of fire, and then everything turned black. Until I woke up," he shook his head again, groggy. "There has to be an explanation, one that doesn't involve possession. I was possessed when I was young," he scowled again, more obvious this time, "and whatever that was, it wasn't spirit possession. It was something else."

"Maybe it's something to do with the particular area we're in?" Gumo suggested, rising from the ground and pacing around a little. Rei tried to get up and collapsed again, groaning, and Gumo offered him a hand. The dark haired boy, unsurprisingly, refused the offer of help and insisted on trying to stand again alone. Gumo just watched, ready in case something bad happened, but after a few moments Rei succeeded in clambering to his feet, the effort leaving him paler than he already was.

"There's nothing different about this area of forest compared to the others. I've been here all day, and nothing happened. The wolves sing here as they do anywhere else," Rei said slowly, still recovering from the earlier events. "Unless something happened while I was away hunting…" the realisation seemed to dawn on him while he spoke. "Yes, perhaps we should take a look around. We're near the centre of the forest, so we should be careful about anything strange that goes on here," Gumo was slightly relieved since the strange possession seemed to have, for the moment, returned Rei's commanding presence, the attitude that let him replace Len while Len was away. "You search here, I'll go back a little further to the tree I was in earlier. We might find something. Anything that is abnormal cannot be passed over, not with the threat of the _kararehe_ looming."

So the two of them split up like Rei suggested, Gumo picking his way through the undergrowth and listening to the low hoots of owls in the distance as the sun set and the moon began to rise. He had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for, he just knew it would be something abnormal and foreign, so he was casual about his search, even whistling a soft tune to himself when he got tired of hearing nothing but the sound of bracken crackling under his feet.

Rei, on the other hand, was doing a much more intensive sweep of the area. Though he made it sound like he was fine and that whatever happened – he wasn't lying about not knowing – had not affected him that much, in truth he was terribly shaken. Whatever had controlled him left a cold, tainted mark behind, and he could feel the force in the back of his head – neither malignant nor benign, just _powerful_ – coiling away there, hissing and snarling whenever he came too close. He knew not what was this thing that decided to take up residence in the back of his head, but he wanted it out of him as quickly as possible. He had enough issues to work with on his own.

He especially did not want Gumo to know that the being which spoke through him was still in his body, or his mind. Perhaps both. Gumo already knew he was slightly unbalanced now, and from what he said, all the Lost Boys knew about his desire for human flesh. There was no need to add that he was now sharing his mind with some external entity. There was little reason to believe in him now, as it was. He continued moving, his narrowed eyes searching around for evidence of the unknown and the supernatural, as the silvery light of the moon shone into the forest, giving his honed senses slightly more to work with. And then he heard a loud crack, and jumped back in surprise.

He had stepped on something. He looked around – he was dangerously close to the border between their territory and the forest's no man's land now, and the warnings he heard since he was little – said by Len over and over again, practically drilled into his memory – _don't enter the heart of the forest unless you wish to never come back out_. Instinctively, he recoiled away from the barrier, the thin line they drew between here and there, but he reassured himself that he wasn't entering the other territory and that he would be safe if he did not venture much further out. He looked down at whatever he had stepped on, and in the moonlight, spotted a piece of gleaming white…

He reached down towards it, but then he heard Gumo shout his name and he straightened back up, heart thudding – he was still slightly unnerved, and reacted with more panic than he liked to sudden loud noises. "Rei, I ran into Len and Nero," Gumo panted as he reached his side, seemingly oblivious to Rei's state of nervousness. "Put aside your differences for this one time, okay, because they're looking for something, and I think that whatever they're looking for is what _we're_ trying to find too."

"Tell them I already found it," Rei said bluntly in response, pointing down at whatever was on the ground, the gleaming shard of white that almost seemed to glitter in the darkness. He already had a sneaking suspicion what the fragment of white was, especially after the cracking sound earlier when he stepped on it, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions before they really figured out what it was. Gumo followed the direction his finger pointed towards, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that…" he looked up at Rei, meeting his gaze, almost seeming to echo his thoughts. Rei nodded grimly, and he swallowed. "Well, then we might have a bit of a problem," he said carefully, trying to crack a smile despite the tense situation. The attempt failed miserably. "I'll just call them over first. Len! Nero!" Gumo raised his voice, shouting behind him, and a few seconds later the two blond haired boys slinked out from the bushes, stalking towards Gumo and Rei like kings demanding a response from their subjects – not a comparison Rei liked, he thought bitterly, but undeniably true.

"So have you found it?" Len demanded, directing the question at Gumo instead of Rei, completely ignoring the black haired boy. Rei had the suspicion that Len would deal with him in private, alone, after this more urgent matter. Nero, however, did nod his head towards Rei in acknowledgement, which Rei almost didn't return because he was still so shaken up by his experience.

"Rei found it," Gumo sounded almost cheerful, and Rei wanted to shake some sense into him because there was no way anything about this could be positive. "We haven't really seen what it is yet, but we're quite sure it's something that deserves notice…unless you and Nero already have an idea as to what it is?" abruptly, Gumo became serious, paying attention to just how tense Nero and Len appeared to be. Len nodded, moving towards Rei, who stepped aside and allowed their leader to kneel down, staring at the shards of white buried in the ground. Rei already was certain what it was. He just had no idea who or what they belonged to, and whether that concerned them or not.

"Bone shards," Len muttered to himself. "It's been cracked…something else has been here already and taken it away," he spread his fingers out over the ground, almost like he was trying to get a feel of who had been here earlier, trying to obtain some psychic reading or something similar. "Bone fragments. But who broke the bone? Definitely not who took it away, it seems too raw to be deliberate…"

"I stepped on it," Rei interrupted before Len could continue with his questioning monologue. "Gumo and I were searching for…abnormalities, and I stepped on something hard here. I probably broke the bone," he gazed down at the white shards, glinting in the moonlight. "But what do these belong to? Why are you and Nero," his gaze shifted to meet the other blond haired boy's, "here to begin with, looking for something that's already been removed?" Nero seemed somewhat uncomfortable at this point, Rei noticed – he was fidgeting slightly. Len saw this too, and was watching Nero curiously.

"I moved it. I didn't want any more carcasses after the first one. There's no need for us to double our problems," Nero said shiftily. The gears clicked, and instantly Rei understood. Another carcass – another wolf then, another _kararehe_. But surely…surely Nero had not killed the beast this time, so why was it dead, on their territory? "I shifted the carcass to the Red Indians," Nero sounded like he was extremely uncomfortable now. "I figured that Tiger Lily deserved a little pain. But now I'm starting to think that it might have been a bad idea to disturb the carcass, what with it being a force of nature and everything. Probably should have buried it," he let out an exasperated sigh.

Len was frowning. "You shouldn't have done that," he said simply. "But what's done is done, and there's no point in berating ourselves. The carcass is out of our territory now, let the Red Indians do what they want with it. It's true that Tiger Lily does deserve some pain for her arrogance…but that's not for us to decide," he said warningly. Nero remained silent. "Yet this was inside our territory...if it showed bone, it must have been here for a while without any of us ever smelling the decay. That's strange," he picked up the pieces of bone and placed them on his palm, studying them. Then suddenly he looked up at them, his gaze sharpening. "And why were all of you so close to this border to begin with?" he asked, looking at each one of them in turn. "I've told you to avoid this place, and for good reason."

"The central forests are getting depleted. We're running out of prey again," Nero defended himself against Len. "We have to come out further to hunt, Len, if you want us to bring back the amount of food you intend to stockpile. Besides, why we're so near the border isn't the point. The point is that there has been another _kararehe_ death, this time right on our territory. Do you think it's an ill omen?" Gumo and Rei were just watching the exchange, not saying anything. Rei didn't want to bring further attention to himself, and Gumo simply didn't like interrupting other people.

"Let's not believe in superstition and myths," was all Len said in response, brushing the bone fragments and the dirt off his fingers and rising so that they could all look each other in the eye. "I don't worry about the significance of finding a dead wolf on our territory. We're already marked by them – another body won't make a difference. Besides, it must have been here for a while already. I'm more concerned that something killed the beast inside our territory – what is that something? And why is it that they are powerful enough to kill the _kararehe_? We need to figure out who or what the killer is, and what they want. And why they chose to leave the body on our land rather than the others," he added.

"Are you sure the killer isn't Nero?" Rei muttered, unable to help himself, and the boy in question shot him an affronted look at that, mouth immediately opening to retort. Len shot him a look though, and Nero instantly backed down, still looking somewhat sullen. Rei knew he shouldn't have said that, but bringing up memories of Nero's role in both of the _kararehe_ deaths brought him no small amount of morbid satisfaction. "I'm sorry," he said out of obligation, no sincerity in his words.

"We need to talk, Rei. You and I, alone," Len said sharply. He glanced at the other two. "Go back to the den. Don't let Miku know about this. I don't want her to know anything more because she won't be able to help and all she will do is fret. She needs to focus on learning how to throw daggers at moving things, her aim is… _terrible_ ," Len stressed the last word, and Nero grunted, seemingly in agreement. "Gumo, you continue hunting for food, but if you're going to stay so near the border then watch yourself. There are dangerous things in the heart of the forest. Nero, go back to the den and watch over the girl. _Rei_ and I," he looked at Rei steadily, "will be back in the den later."

Rei wanted to protest against returning to the den but he knew better than to speak up against his leader when he gave such direct orders, so all he could do was stay silent and glare while the other two carried out what he said. Len waited until both boys were gone and definitely out of earshot before taking a deep breath and stepping right up to him. The two boys stared at each other for a while, saying nothing, just a tense stand-off between two people who had very different opinions about the same subject. Rei almost wished he had just ignored Gumo and remained on that tree.

When Len spoke, Rei knew it was going to be about him avoiding Miku, and he was prepared to defend himself against that. So when the words that came out of his leader's mouth were actually, "I know there's more to you and Gumo just stumbling across the remains. You need to tell me what you experienced prior to searching for abnormalities. It's for our sake," Rei had no idea how to respond. He just stood there, gaping, searching for an answer – for how could he describe to Len what happened to him when he didn't know, personally, what had taken over his body?

He already felt vulnerable enough, given his wild state of emotions and his sullenness over the new girl. He was already vulnerable enough, having to face the emotions and senses he beat into oblivion three centuries ago. And now, some foreign entity, according to Gumo, had just possessed his body and used him as a medium while he remained suspended in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness, seeing nothing but grey. He was, honestly, not in the best of moods, and Len's probing was not helping. "I don't know," he said shortly. "I don't remember. I don't understand."

"You need to tell me everything you can remember, no matter how uncomfortable it is. I can _feel_ it, Rei. There were…things here. Beings that were not quite gone. And it's something to do with those remains," Len pointed down at the ground, where the bone shards were half-buried in the ground, dirt having been poured over most of the fragments. "I'm sure whatever you and Gumo experienced was linked to this too. I'm not even going to ask what the hell you were doing so near somewhere I explicitly said was forbidden. But I need to know the truth before strange things start happening to us. I do not want any of us to be used as conduits by these beings to speak to us, you understand?"

Len sounded almost angry here, and Rei relented despite his own misery. The group mentality thrived over his sense of self-pity here. "Fine. I'll tell you what you need to know. But in exchange, don't bother me about the girl afterwards," he slanted his gaze towards his leader knowingly. Len gritted his teeth, but nodded, so Rei sat on the forest floor and beckoned his leader to follow suit. He did just so, making himself comfortable and facing the dark boy so he could hear and understand every single detail clearly. It was in this sense Len was a good leader. He was always a good listener.

Rei met the piercing blue eyes of the centuries old Pan – the one person they knew was permanent in their lives. He was a fixture, a reference point from which they adjusted themselves. Their gazes clashed, and Rei almost changed his mind – but then he remembered their deal, and the tale began.


	14. Chapter 14

Miku was back at the training room, though she wasn't doing much training. Her arms ached, her legs ached, her whole body was aching – and most of all, she was terribly bored.

Nero had the habit of just leaving her alone here to get her practice, and though she did try very hard to focus on her aim she found that she couldn't keep up such a level of concentration for too long. Nero had also recently started giving her lessons on hand-to-hand combat, which she was desperately bad at and none too keen to continue. But, like he reminded her, she didn't have a choice. If she didn't know how to protect herself against the _kararehe_ then she would die.

Until now she wasn't sure why the others seemed to fear for her safety more than their own. Did they not risk dying either? It made her think back to something Len told her, before he brought her here to Neverland – _they will grow old, while we will remain young. They will die, while we will live forever_. At first, she assumed he was exaggerating, or that he meant that spiritually and mentally they remained young while their parents aged and died – for they couldn't be immortal, could they?

But now she was beginning to suspect otherwise. She ran her hand out over the table, fingers lightly outlining the shapes of the various knives that lay on the wooden surface. She knew these knives. Nero had given them to her after her fourth day here, saying she at least deserved a set of weapons of her own. She still feared touching them somewhat, shunning violence and preferring to take the coward's way out, but she forced herself to accept the gleaming set of daggers and now, they were hers, and hers alone. The Lost Boys had an unspoken tradition to never touch someone else's knives.

"Oh, there you are – not that I had expected you to leave," a cheery voice, by now familiar to her, rang out through the room. She turned – she used to whip around quickly whenever one of the boys addressed her, so unused she was to people speaking to her, but she was slowly getting used to it and no longer reacted with all the quick panic of a frightened rabbit. Piko was at the entrance to the cave, carrying a wooden cup and a roasted leg of meat. Her nose wrinkled at the sight, and he laughed. "Come on, eat up. I know you don't like the meat here, but you can't keep skipping meals."

He walked over to her, passing her the food, and semi-reluctantly she accepted. She didn't like the meat in Neverland. It tasted acrid, completely unlike what she was used to at home. You could almost taste the despair on your tongue, and she hated it. In fact, the first time she ate meat in Neverland she spat it out and told them she would never take the meat here again. Obviously none of them had allowed that and now, with the exception of Rei, the boys took turns to bring her food and stand by, ensuring that she finished all of it. She felt a whole mix of emotions at that gesture.

On one hand, she was grateful and somewhat touched that they showed her such concern. She had been brought up with little care, after all. It was the first time in a while anyone showed her concern, the last time being when she had friends, before she turned sixteen – not that she had many friends, even then. But on the other hand, she felt guilty that she was distracting them from their no doubt important tasks, making them look for her and make sure she finish her meals. She had promised Len that she would eat everything because she didn't believe in wasting meat, not after knowing just how scarce the resources here were, but he didn't believe her, and the arrangements continued.

"So how's training?" Piko asked conversationally. She looked up at him from where she was trying to tear a chunk of meat off with her teeth – the meat in Neverland, she was now pretty sure this used to be a deer, was tough and stringy, and required great effort to chew. She sometimes wondered if eating the meat raw would be better than roasting it over the fire first, but she didn't want to try. "Nero tells all of us that you're getting better. Slowly. But it's better than nothing at all, so …" Piko shrugged. "I, for one, would certainly like to see what you've got," his mismatched eyes gleamed.

The past few days, the person she talked to the most was Piko. Len was always busy going around the den and barking orders at everyone. Nero, when he was around, was focused solely on getting her to improve and left little room for conversation. Gumo, though she wished she could talk to him more, was always out hunting with Nero. And Rei was…well, Rei was gone, for reasons she did not know. She was sure that the other boys knew what Rei was up to, but none of them could be persuaded into telling her what the reason was so she eventually just dropped her questioning. It probably didn't involve her directly anyway, and she had started losing interest in the matter too.

Piko was the only one who seemed to have free time in the den. He didn't even bother going out to hunt anymore, now that Gumo and Nero were bringing in steady streams of fresh meat – she still did not know how they stored all the meat they had, for she knew they did not finish eating everything they brought back within a day – and that gave Piko the time he needed to work on fortification.

She was, by now, aware of Piko's affinity with wood and forests. He had magical hands, capable of crafting all sorts of things, like the cup she held right now, filled with water. Piko explained that when he was on Earth he was the son of a carpenter, and had picked up tricks of the trade early in his youth. He said he came here relatively late, when he was fourteen, so he had plenty of time to perfect his art before he even reached Neverland. And after that, with so much wood around them, he had no issues with honing his skills even further. He preferred his craft to fighting, he admitted.

"Training is fine. It could be worse. It's quite tiring though, and very tedious," she answered him, succeeding in tearing off a chunk of meat. She started to chew, making a face as the slightly bitter tang hit the back of her throat. The stringiness of the meat was not helping. Piko watched her face and his own expression was one of amusement. She probably would be more wary of the boy if it wasn't for just how tired and, admittedly, hungry she was. She was still not that comfortable being around Piko despite him being her only companion while in the den, the entire past week.

She could not get the memory of that day out of her head, and the strange things he said while she was in his room. He pretended that nothing had happened, like he never said anything out of the ordinary around her, but she could not forget. It unnerved her more than anything else she had seen on this island so far, and the fact that she was alone with him still made her fidgety. It was getting better, and she was slowly getting used to his presence, but sometimes when he popped up from nowhere she got badly startled. To be fair, he did try to make his presence known beforehand.

"We've all been through that," he folded his arms, watching her eat the meat, eyes unblinking. It was making her feel a little nervous now, in fact. "Just a shame for you that it has to be so intense. You came at a bad time," he shook his head, looking away from her – she suddenly felt like she could breathe again, and swallowed a little easier. "Have you ever wondered what our pasts were like?" he added, almost absentmindedly, but she could see him turn slightly to look at her, awaiting her response. She gulped, the meat forcing its way down her throat, and took a hasty gulp of water.

Of course she had wondered. She wondered about what Neverland was like for them, when they first arrived. If all of them experienced the same thing, could feel the same sense of despair and hopelessness permeating the land and the forest. She wondered how long it took for them to adapt to this new world – to hunting, fighting, eating this foul meat, and listening to an authoritarian leader who, she knew, divulged few of his secrets. It was such a different world, a completely different life, and she thought that even if she lived here for twenty years, she probably wouldn't manage to get used to the differences.

But she summed up all her thoughts in a few words. "Yeah, I guess. So what was it like for you?" she asked, drinking more water nervously. He had come closer to her now, curiosity glinting in his eyes, and that sudden decrease in distance between them set her on edge. She wasn't sure if she wanted him close to her at this point. The past week they talked, as he asked her to – she dropped by his room at times and they would talk, though usually she was the one who listened. Piko thought a lot. He spoke of dreams and beings and spirits of nature, strange metaphors she could not quite wrap her head around. He was careful not to touch her or say anything funny, and she was thankful for that. She found he made a pleasant conversationalist, but refused to let down her guard.

"What do you think?" he responded, fingers grazing lightly against the wooden surface of the table. "Imagine…having known a family when you were little, then being brought into a place where you can only rely on yourself to survive. It's promised to be a Paradise, but ultimately it sucks up your misery and amplifies it two-fold, then throws it back at you," there was an unfamiliar ring of bitterness in his voice. "Stupid people make stupid choices. We're all stupid, aren't we?" he laughed, again that bitter, mocking self-deprecating laugh. "But let's not talk about us. Let's talk about _you_."

"Me?" she didn't know what to say, in light of such genuine self-hatred. "I have nothing to add. I feel I have not been here long enough to know the truth about the place – though I can taste the misery that lies in the land," she held out her piece of meat, and Piko looked at it for a moment, a grimace flitting across his face. He definitely knew exactly what she meant, and his gaze lifted from the meat, meeting hers once again. Something had changed – the innocent youthfulness that she associated with him was gone, and in its place was something much older, wiser, and far more knowing.

"Maybe because you came with misery in your heart," he answered. "For we came as children, and life for us was different. When you are older…when you are an adult, things change, life changes, and you stop seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. Maybe it's because you didn't have to shatter those glasses that you didn't feel the same sense of loss we did. When I came here," he swept his hand around the room, but she knew he referred to Neverland, "I felt like something in me died. But at first, I didn't think about that too long. I focused on my fun. It was only when the loss, the grief, enveloped me whole did I start seeing Neverland for what it really was. It's a hellhole."

He said this so matter-of-factly that she didn't know what to say. She just continued looking away and munching away on her tough meat – it was preferable to stomach the acrid, pungent flavour of misery. She did not want to rise to the challenge in those dual-coloured eyes. There was a laugh, and suddenly his finger tipped her head up and she had to look right at him, the meat dangling limply from her grip as her lips parted in surprise. His eyes had lost the earlier, unfamiliar knowingness, and was now filled again with light, youthful mischief. "But let's not think about Neverland being a hellhole. After all, you're here, aren't you? That makes things _much_ better," he cooed, smiling.

It took her a few seconds to come up with a legible response. "I think you should stop treating me like that," she said carefully, stepping away so that she could break free of his grip. She backed into the table where her knives were, and set her wooden cup down on the surface – as she did, her fingers brushed against the hilt of her daggers, and a crazy thought flitted through her mind.

She could strike him, then get away from here. She was sure she would not do him much harm even if she used the blades, and then when he was distracted by the pain she could get out of here and go somewhere relatively safer, where his words would not confuse her and she would not have to deal with possible male advances. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he seemed to read her mind, watching her with all the intent caution of a snake prepared to strike. It seemed so unlike what she was used to, from him – he always seemed so child-like, but now there was a sly, knowing air around him, and it was not the same knowingness that spawned his philosophical discourse, either.

"Nero told me to practice my aim. If you start being like _that_ again, Piko, then I'll treat it as you've volunteered for target practice," she threatened. He was perfectly aware that she did not like being spoken to that way. She didn't like the idea that he was trying to flirt with her or whatnot. It wasn't because she hated him or anything like that – he was not bad looking, and she was sure that back in her neighbourhood someone like Piko would have any number of girls he wanted – but rather, for very, very personal reasons. She didn't like the idea of having romantic relations at all, especially _sexual_ ones – which was precisely what Piko seemed to be hinting at, from the words he used.

He knew, he definitely knew. He knew from the very first moment he spoke to her because he had not missed her reaction to his words. So why was he still doing this, was it just because she was the only girl around? She didn't like the idea of that. It made her seem like a last resort. "Those are very challenging words," Piko noted, seemingly unaffected by her blustering threat. "Are you sure you can follow through with them, Miku? Perhaps we can test it with a test of strength," he walked over to her, and instinctively she reached back, grasping for a dagger in case he tried to manhandle her.

However, he completely ignored her, walking to the other side of the wooden table. Casually, he swept all her weaponry and the wooden cup to one side, and bade her stand on the opposite end of the table. Suspicious, but relieved there was now a table in between them, she did as he said. He looked at her half-eaten leg of meat. "Put that down on the cup first, you can finish that later," he said dismissively, and glad to have a reason to stop gnawing on the tough meat, she did as he told her.

"Are you a right or left hander?" he asked, in that same, suddenly professional manner, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. She frowned, not knowing what he was up to, but held out her right hand for him nevertheless. "All right, that's great. I'm right-handed myself, so it'll make things fair," he nodded in approval, his left hand reaching up to tuck a stray lock of silver back behind his ear. Then he set his right arm down on the table, elbow resting lightly at an angle, and waited for her.

She stared. He sighed. "You wanted to use me as target practice, didn't you?" he chuckled, clearly entertained by the notion, but she refused to be provoked and continued staring at him. His laughter faded. "All right then, to even hurt me and use me as target practice, you need to have some measure of strength. Out of all the Lost Boys, I'm physically the weakest," he said, again in a terribly matter-of-fact way. "If you can maintain an equilibrium with me during an arm-wrestling match, I will admit that you do have a respectable measure of strength and willingly sacrifice myself to be your target practice for hitting moving objects. If not…well, you owe me a favour, how about that?"

It was a terrible idea. She didn't even have to finish hearing the whole thing to know it would be a stupidly bad idea and she would no doubt lose to him. "You know I've only been here a week! I can't possibly have gained enough muscle to beat you in an arm-wrestling match, even if you _are_ the weakest Lost Boy," she argued, refusing to set herself up for defeat. Piko just let his hand remain there, expectant and waiting, and shot her a dazzling grin. She gritted her teeth, telling herself not to do anything rash or silly. "There's no way I'll win. I'm not going to do this for the sake of my pride."

"Hey, I didn't say you had to win," Piko countered. "I just said if you can keep us in a state of equilibrium – if we both have equal strength, and our arms do not budge, then I will let you use me as target practice, simple as that," he shrugged. "You find me creepy, don't you?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I know you did ever since that time in my room. So here's your chance to make me feel ashamed of my behaviour. Isn't that something you're wishing for?" he asked, now sounding questioning. But still, she would not allow herself to be goaded into foolishness.

"No," she said simply. "I will not agree to this. I'm _tired_ , Piko, and don't you have other errands to run? I doubt Len gave you a chance to take a break like this," she said sharply, turning away from the table and picking up her meat once more. She resolved to finish the chunk of flesh – she would rather eat the whole disgusting thing than say one more word to Piko. There was a soft laugh, and then she heard him push himself away from the table, walking back to the entrance of the room. She was relieved, though she showed no outward sign of that – she truly did not mind being around Piko when he simply wanted to talk for he had fascinating ideas and theories, but not when he was like… _this_. Not when he made clear to her his desire for sexual fulfilment, solely because she was the only female around.

"You're kind of funny. The way you react to things is amusing," she heard him say, though she did not turn around to listen. "I'm glad Len brought you here, though whether or not _you're_ personally happy about your choice…well, maybe I'll ask you about that when you've calmed down. I wanted to ask you, you know," he sounded pensive. She swallowed. "But then let's admit I got distracted. Well, I'll see you next time!" he probably left then, and she let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. She stared at the wooden cup still on the table – perhaps it was mean to think that, but she was starting to wonder if the water inside had been drugged. Honestly, she wouldn't put it past him.

"Oh hey, Nero," she heard Piko's voice drift in from outside, sounding rather far-off, and she turned to face the entrance – that probably meant Nero was back from whatever he was doing earlier. A sudden wave of sleepiness crashed into her, and she yawned – she had slept all day already, but she was still a little unused to a nocturnal life. Len told her that her body clock would eventually get used to this, but for now she was prone to sudden bouts of sleepiness in the middle of the night. It could be rather dangerous, because when she was sleepy she tended to drop things, like throwing knives or torches or pieces of inedible meat. One time, a knife she dropped almost sliced away her toe.

Hastily, she put the leg on the wooden cup, not wanting to risk dropping it on the cave floor – foul as it was, it was still food. She tried to listen to whatever was going on outside. There was some faint murmuring, she could pick up the sounds of human conversation – then there was a sudden cry of surprise from Piko, an exaggerated shushing that must have been Nero, and then the conversation quietened again. She was extremely curious now, and crept slightly closer to hear what they were saying. She picked up the words, "dead", "Rei" and "don't say anything", but didn't know enough to understand what they were discussing. Piko made a sound of assent, and then she heard footsteps. Quickly, she dashed back to the table so it would not seem like she was eavesdropping.

The blond haired Nero popped into the room a few seconds after she scampered back. He stopped at the entrance, watching her suspiciously, and she simply took an exaggerated bite out of her chunk of meat, hoping he wouldn't suspect her of listening in. "What did you and Piko talk about?" she asked, though her words were a little muffled due to her mouth being full. Nero's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing much," he answered dismissively. "I just let him know about new strategies Len intends to implement. He disagrees with a few of them, that's all," he crossed over to the table, picking up one of the daggers placed out there. It wasn't one of hers, since even Nero wouldn't touch her weapons. She wondered why the Lost Boys seem to treat their weaponry as something so sacred. "Have you practiced at all today? Did your aim improve?" his violet eyes were fixed on the edge of the blade he held, as though he could see some minute tear or gap in the metal that she could not.

"I took…a short nap," she admitted, knowing better than to lie since her lack of practice would make it obvious when Nero asked her to demonstrate her ability. Nero looked up at her so quickly she thought he might have gotten whiplash. "It was really very short," she hurriedly protested, "I was about to start practicing again when Piko came in with my…" breakfast, or dinner? She still wasn't good with the terms around here. "With my food," she finished lamely. Nero was positively glaring.

"I don't know if you think this is a game, Hatsune, but I'll have you know that it is _not_. Everything we do here is for survival, and just know that if you're stranded by yourself when the _kararehe_ come to flush us out of the den, it's not my fault, or _any_ of our faults, if you die. So you'd better pick up the pace," he reached over and yanked the bone of meat out of her hand, much to her surprise. "Well, what are you looking at?" he barked. "Get back to work! You can finish the rest of it later after you're done! Sleeping?" he muttered, more to himself than to her. "As if you have not rested the whole day while we were busy doing what we can to protect ourselves," he turned away from her.

His words made her feel undeniably guilty. She couldn't tell if he said it intentionally, or if he really just let slip his inner thoughts, but it stung to know that he viewed her that way – like she was some sort of parasite. Was it really her fault that she couldn't prepare herself quick enough for imminent invasion? She had not known about the invasion before coming here, either. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for you, Nero," she said acidly – something she had learnt from her mother. "I suppose that I could just sacrifice myself as a distraction to lead the wolves away from the den while you all prepare to fight, wouldn't that be the best idea?" she knew by now that Nero was more bark than bite, so she didn't fear his response.

He whipped around, expression brightening. "Actually, that's a wonderful idea. I was thinking of that myself, but I figured someone as lazy and weak as you wouldn't have agreed to it," he chirped, with an enthusiasm that made her uncomfortably sure that he was not kidding. "I just need to talk to Len about it and let him know that _you_ came up with this plan. We would all appreciate you having some use around here," he patted her on the shoulder, and she flinched, shooting him an aggravated look.

"I didn't mean it," she informed him coldly, and he rolled his eyes, the excited fervour leaving his face. Did Nero not understand what sarcasm was? Even she, someone who had lived like a hermit for the last two years of her life, still recalled what sarcasm was. She was certain that there was no shortage of dry wit among the Lost Boys. Maybe Nero was even more reclusive than she was.

"Before you start questioning my sanity, Hatsune, I knew that too," he replied just as coldly, grabbing her cup and draining it of its contents. He placed her almost-finished bone of meat in the empty cup, and she grimaced at it, wishing the boy would just throw it away instead of making her eat it when it was totally cold, after training. She would honestly rather eat dirt. It was bad enough when hot. "But you should start realising that the whole world does not revolve around you, even if you're a weak and feeble little girl. We're not here to protect you; we want to protect ourselves, and having to train you isn't something I want to do. Neither of us want to be here, so just suck it up, get better as fast as you can, then we will never have to spend more time with each other alone."

It sounded like a good proposal. She was agreeable to it, except that her level of skill just didn't improve as quickly as both of them would like. It wouldn't have been so bad if she was an athlete, used to physical training. She probably would have picked up this whole self-defence thing a lot sooner. As it was, the last time she actively exercised was when she was twelve and since then, she had lost not just fats but also muscle mass. One could see the visible outline of her ribs underneath her skin. "I want to get better. You know I want to. If I didn't want to I would just die here, I'd kill myself or something even before the _kararehe_ showed up," she snapped. "And I want your help. But if you're just going to come here and get upset at me, then show me how to do something and leave again to sort out your own business, I might as well kill myself because you aren't helping me to survive. You're just doing the bare minimum so that Len won't think that you're disobeying him."

Nero went very still, and she just stood there, coming down from the anger and annoyance that fuelled her outburst. She was starting to get a little nervous now that the high was over – she recalled that he was the most violent Lost Boy, the one most prone to physical aggression, and she had just snapped back at him. It wasn't a very wise decision, but she had been just so _upset_. He was here, basically calling her useless and completely disregarding her physical state and the fact that she just came here a few days ago. It was utterly unreasonable. People like him were those she absolutely could not stand. He behaved like her mother when she was drunk – impossible to get through to, and with impossible demands. They brought out the very worst part of her.

When he moved, she flinched, and he noticed. "I'm not going to do anything to you, idiot," he snapped at her impatiently, but still she did not relax. He walked over to her, and gestured to her to pick up one of the daggers. She did that with trembling fingers. "I want you," he said evenly this time, "to imagine the face of someone you utterly hate and stick it on one of the targets. We're not going to try making them move this time, all right? I want you to hit a bullseye before moving on."

She was somewhat suspicious of his sudden neutrality. "Didn't you say that's a misconception and that generally doing that won't help with accuracy at all?" she asked. He shrugged, stepping away from her so that she had a clear space to work with. His gaze remained fixed on her the whole time.

"Different people do different things," he said simply. "I don't rely on that, certainly. And neither do any of us. But maybe other people do, I don't know and I don't particularly care. Right now, all I'm concerned about is getting you to hit that target accurately. If you can't do the most basic step, then it's no surprise you can't hit something that's moving either," for once, this was said without his usual scathing tone, and she would prefer this Nero if he didn't make her feel so uneasy. Still, she did as he said, trying to imagine the face of someone she disliked…who did she dislike? She wasn't sure.

She thought of using Nero as a target – he had put her through plenty of anguish this whole week, after all. "Well, don't just stand around all day," he barked now, "get going!" she gritted her teeth and let the dagger fly right at what she imagined to be his nose, right in the middle of his face. The dagger didn't even manage to reach the target, clattering onto the floor halfway through its flight.

Nero sighed, an exaggerated sound. "Try again," he instructed. This time, she thought of Piko – not the Piko she normally spoke to, with his deep, wise sayings and his thought-provoking questions, but rather the Piko with the sly grin and knowing gaze and the uncomfortable prying. The Piko she did not welcome in the slightest, for she could sense the sexual way he regarded her, and knew for almost certain that if she were male, he would not speak to her this way. When Nero told her to release, she tossed the dagger right at that unnerving smirk. The blade hit the target, but it was too low – three rings away from the red bullseye right in the centre. Nero told her to try again.

Unwillingly, she went back into her past, searching through the deep, murky memories – they were fusions of history and dreams, interspersed with black, shadowy monsters which were neither real nor imaginary. She went all the way back to the centre of her existence, the locus of fear which defined her and from which all her other fears sprang. She felt the familiar black horror and pain creep through her being, and put the face at the heart of it right at the centre of the target. When Nero told her to move, she flung her dagger away from her, letting out a cry of terror and disgust – when she could finally look up and open her eyes, she saw the hilt quivering right in the red centre.

"Good job," Nero seemed completely unfazed by her sudden triumph and by the abject terror that was probably on her face. He seemed to almost understand, patting her knowingly on the shoulder. For once, she did not flinch. "Maybe fear does the trick for you. You can take a break now – finish up the rest of that," he pointed at the meat still in her empty wooden cup, "and when you're done, come out to the main chamber. I'll bring you out into the forest for some physical training. Len might join us this time, he mentioned he wants to see your progress…" she shuddered at the thought of being watched by the hawk-eyed leader, but knew better than to protest against this arrangement.

"Why don't you seem curious about what I imagined?" she asked, curious about him too. Nero, who was in the middle of packing his weapons and leaving the room, paused over an array of knives and longer, arm-length blades. He raised an eyebrow at her question, seemingly surprised that she asked him anything that wasn't a clarification of what he said earlier. Did she really seem that slow to him?

"Everyone has their own secrets, even Gumo. Even me," he said simply. "You might think that I am rough and sarcastic – I do not deny that I am. But I know the limits. If you don't want to tell me, I'm fine with that. You could have imagined my face for all I care. As long as it works, nothing matters." With that said, he swept the blades, all clattering and ringing sharply as the blades clashed with each other, into a leather bag he had open and waiting at the side of the table. Quickly, he tied up the bag and exited the room, leaving her to finish her cold meal in peace. She gaped at his retreating back.

How strange that her sudden outburst could bring about such a change in him. Perhaps this whole time he was just testing her to see where her limits were. Maybe she managed to gain some respect, and he would stop calling her useless. Or maybe that was hoping for too much. She didn't know, but she would stay positive since positivity was something that, she felt, Neverland sorely lacked.


	15. Chapter 15

"No. I won't do it. You can't make me!" Rei's voice rose in panic as Len pushed the black haired boy in front of him, resolutely preventing him from turning tail and running back into the forest.

"Yes you will," Len gritted his teeth, pushing against the resisting body that was Rei. "I will not allow any of you to stay away from the den, we need every bit of strength we can get right now. You will tell Miku about your fears and tell her how to react appropriately or I swear I will stab you, Rei."

"I'd rather take the stabbing," Rei grunted, trying to squirm free from Len's grip. Len had promised that he wouldn't do anything regarding him and Miku if he told him about everything that happened before he and Gumo ran into him. This was probably Len's definition of not _talking_ about it. Brute force was not something which Rei had anticipated.

"I don't want to lose one of my Lost Boys, every loss we have makes us more vulnerable," Len's reply was curt as the blond haired boy determinedly continued to force him forward. They had moved a surprising distance already, considering his desperate attempts to stay rooted, and he knew that it wouldn't be much further before they were near the den. The thought of having to face, or talk, to the girl filled him with dread, and lent him a new surge of strength to resist the force of his leader.

"Stop struggling, you're just making it a lot harder than it should be for the both of us!" Len hissed, evidently exasperated. He wasn't the only one tired of this either. Rei dug his heels into the ground and lunged out for a nearby tree trunk, wrapping his arms tightly around the wood. Len continued pushing at him, but he held on to the trunk for dear life, and he couldn't be budged an inch. Len suddenly stopped shoving him, stepping back for a second to shoot him a look of utter disbelief.

"I have never… _never_ , seen you this…stubborn!" Len shouted in between short pants. Rei just shot Len a tired glare – Len knew perfectly well how he felt about returning to the den and facing anyone, let alone Miku, so why did he insist on him going back? He would go back of his own accord in due time, when he was certain he could resist the alluring pull of fresh meat, and wouldn't try to attack anyone because of his animalistic urges. He didn't want to risk anything going wrong now, not when everyone was so tense and nervous about the impending _kararehe_ attack. There was pent-up energy in the den's atmosphere, and a single, tiny little spark could set the whole place on fire…

"And you promised you'd leave me alone after I told you everything," he retorted, still hugging the tree. Indeed, he told Len everything, from Gumo's description of the event to the strange feeling he had while under its influence, all grey and murky, a lack of definite boundaries. He told him that he couldn't remember much, which was true, and he didn't know what was happening, while Gumo said that it seemed almost as though Rei was possessed during that period. Len seemed thoughtful while Rei explained what happened – it made him wonder if Len actually knew something…

"And maybe I lied," he snapped, eyes narrowed. Rei continued glaring at him, and Len's expression softened a little. "You know I only think about what's best for all of us," he explained, folding his arms defensively. "And you and I both know that you can't stay away from the den forever. You may have the company of wolves, but you're _not_ a wolf yourself and you know that. Tell me, who does your allegiance lie with, the _kararehe_ or us?" he asked, watching him, his gaze carefully neutral.

Rei had to stop and think. He couldn't just immediately give an answer, though he _knew_ what the answer was, he knew what he was expected to say. He was never more confused than now – both points that Len raised were correct, he was both wolf and human but more human than animal. He should stick with the Lost Boys – he had a moral obligation to do so. But when he saw the carcass of the dead wolf, killed by Nero although it had been hunting _him_ , his heart broke. A magnificent beast killed just on a whim. It would have been enough to run. There was no need to kill a predator just for what it was doing – predators hunted, and the _kararehe_ had done absolutely nothing wrong.

"With the Lost Boys," he muttered, "but I don't think that the _kararehe_ are our enemies. The wolf that Nero killed wasn't doing anything different from what a normal predator would do, especially if it was hungry. I can't blame it for its animal instincts even if I was the one it targeted. I'm just wondering why it ventured so far from its own territory…" he was still clinging on to the tree, he realised, and abruptly unwound himself from the trunk. It was starting to get uncomfortable, and he didn't want to look like a baby clinging on to its mother. "What will I get if I go back now with you, though?"

"You're asking _me_ for a reward?" Len sounded incredulous. "I'm bringing you back to your _home_ and you want a reward from me?" Rei continued staring stubbornly, folded arms across his chest mirroring Len, and the blond haired boy let out an irate sigh. "You can stay out here with your wolves and animals and whatever else you're into. Just stop staying outside all the time. Looking for you and giving you instructions has never been harder…you understand me?" he barked. Rei nodded.

When Len departed the area, Rei followed this time, manner calm and docile. But you could see the darkness in his eyes. Len didn't fail to notice this, and he wondered where the darkness came from – the boy himself, thinking about his tense relationship with human and animal? Or was it something else…was it the being that had possessed him earlier? He would have to ask Gumo more about what happened to Rei, since it was obvious that the dark boy had no idea at all what happened to him.

He thought he knew who possessed his eldest. There were few beings in this forest, supernatural or not, who could match up to Rei – no one could deny there was an obvious relationship between age and strength of mind, and Rei had been alone for so long that his mind was near impenetrable. It had to be something equally old, or perhaps even older, to trick Rei like that and enter his thoughts. But he knew too little about these beings. Perhaps it was time to visit the Red Indians…

Hopefully Tiger Lily would not be there this time. She was the main reason he didn't like going to the Red Indian territory, and the reason why everyone avoided them until it was time for the Hunt.

* * *

"Me? I thought Rei told you everything," Gumo sounded surprised, munching away on a hunk of rabbit. The rest of the dead animal was roasting over the fire, Piko idly turning the carcass over and over so that no one part of the animal would become overcooked. Len shook his head.

"You know that he can't remember everything. He told me that all he saw was grey, and a burst of flame at the end. And that you said that he seemed possessed. I need to know what he said to you at that time – what about him made it seem like he was possessed to you," he stated. The campfire was crackling, the flames spitting up towards the heavens. When you looked up, the night sky of Neverland sprawled out far and wide over your head, and one could see the stars. It was beautiful.

Honestly, Neverland itself as a place was rather beautiful. The lagoon had crystal clear waters, and the far plains of the Red Indian territory stretched long, wide and golden, dry grass rippling and whispering in the breeze. The pirates had their rivers and waterfalls, surrounded by jungle and strange, exotic flora and fauna – though the pirates would rather fish than hunt in the trees. Every part of Neverland, despite all being part of the same island, was resoundingly different from each other. In fact, he would say each territory represented a season. The pirates had summer, the Lost Boys had spring, the Red Indians had autumn…and the heart of Neverland was the dead of winter.

He would be stunned by the beauty of the island if he was not aware of the darkness and danger that lay waiting in the land, just _waiting_ for someone to spring its trap. "Well…" Gumo looked strangely hesitant, and bought some time by tearing away yet another hunk of rabbit, chewing away nervously. Len was tempted to grab the morsel of meat and toss it away into the fire so that Gumo had no choice but to look at him. He already knew that whatever Rei said must have been terrible, because the darkness that lay as residue in his eyes was evidence of that. But he did not expect Gumo to hesitate so much while he questioned him. It was making him fear the worst.

"Go on, Gumo – if you don't speak up soon Len will have an aneurysm," Piko spoke up from where he sat, on the opposite end of him and Gumo, still roasting the rabbit on the spit. Miku was seated in between Gumo and Piko, looking between the two of them curiously. Gumo had most probably already shared the tale with the other two since even Miku didn't seem to be completely lost, but Len wondered exactly how much of the truth he dared to reveal to the others.

"He…he was possessed, okay?" Gumo swallowed and spoke up, voice slightly thick. "He wasn't being himself, so don't blame Rei for whatever he said while under the influence of…whatever that thing was. I'm sure he didn't mean it," he met Len's gaze for a while before he turned away, green eyes narrowed slightly. Len didn't press anymore, simply waiting for Gumo to continue. There was an obvious, oppressive kind of silence in the atmosphere, broken only by the hissing and crackling of the fire as it roasted the rabbit, and he wondered how long it would take for Gumo to finally crack.

It didn't take that long, perhaps only slightly more than a minute, before Gumo reluctantly spoke up again. "He said that you aren't sharing everything with us, Len," he looked at Piko and Miku while he spoke, not daring to look at his leader. "He said that you're keeping secrets and you're not willing to share them with us, for fear that we would leave you if we ever found out the truth," he shrugged. "I mean, not that I believe the spirit that possessed Rei or whatever the entity was," he hastily added. "It's just what came out of his mouth at that time. I already told you it wasn't anything important."

Len's breath froze when he heard what Gumo said. Though Gumo's belief in him was reassuring, the words chilled him to the bone. He did have secrets – who didn't? But his secrets might well drive the Lost Boys away. It was a possibility he spent endless nights thinking about, and always he decided that the only way to keep these boys safe was to hide them from the truth. Only Miku, the only girl among them, knew the truth about what Rei and Gumo said. He lifted his gaze, looking at her, and found that she was staring right back, her green eyes wide and expression unreadable. He wondered what she was thinking, if she was judging him, but before he could read too much into that blank expression, she turned away. "That doesn't sound at all like something any of you would say," she remarked, speaking to Gumo. Gumo turned to her, looking relieved that someone else spoke up.

"Yeah, it isn't," he agreed. "We lived with Len for years, and we grew up with him. We know that he wouldn't do anything that would hurt us, or make us turn against him," the boy shrugged again, then smiled at Len. It was a simple smile, friendly and trusting. "I just wonder what the thing which took over Rei's body was," the smile faded, and Gumo frowned. "Rei said he was too old to be possessed by the will-o'-the-wisps, and that he knows how to defend his mind…given he is the second oldest among us, I wonder what entity is powerful enough to enter his body, to begin with?" he raised a question which Len had been thinking about all night, ever since Rei told him about his experience.

He thought he might know what it was, there had to be some sort of connection between the remains they found and the sudden possession which occurred right before that. But until he made that trip to the Red Indian territory, his suspicions could not be confirmed. It would not do well for them to make assumptions about such a serious matter. Yet at the same time, he didn't want Gumo or Piko to keep on worrying needlessly about this either – this matter was for him to think about, since he was their leader. It didn't have anything to do with them, and he couldn't afford to have anyone panicking about sudden possession when they had duties to finish daily.

"What are will-o'-the-wisps?" Miku asked, curious. The small circle instantly looked at her, all three of them clearly having forgotten that she was still new to this place and the creatures which dwelled in the forest. Gumo looked like he wanted to say something, but he averted his gaze and stared into the crackling campfire instead, leaving Piko to talk about the playful spirits that roamed the forest.

"Will-o'-the-wisps are the spirits of the dead. Not just dead people," Piko clarified, turning the spit again – the aroma of roasted rabbit wafted to Len, and his nose wrinkled. He was getting a little hungry. "But also dead wishes, dead hopes and dead dreams. Anything that dies might return as a will-o'-the-wisp. That's Neverland's final curse, you see," Piko laughed, no humour in his voice. "No one gets to rest in peace. Our tormented souls will continue dancing through the trees forevermore. They say if you see a will-o'-the-wisp dancing in the night, get away as soon as possible, because they will try to possess you if they can, and if they manage to…it's difficult to get yourself back."

"And have any of you been possessed before then?" Miku continued, her eyes still wide with curiosity as she listened to Piko's explanation. Gumo had picked up a stick, and was now prodding the small circle of stones that surrounded the campfire. He looked sullen, and both Len and Piko knew perfectly well why. "And what does Rei's age have to do with him being less susceptible?"

"Generally the older you are, the harder it is for will-o'-the-wisps to take control of your mind and body," Piko hoisted the spit out of the fire, taking care that the rabbit's juices didn't splatter onto his clothes. "Does anyone have a plate? I refuse to hold this until it cools," he added, and Gumo rose from his spot, going off to find something to put the roasted rabbit on. Piko casually continued where he left off. "Because when you're older, you learn to deal with more hardship, and you can put up with more mental stress. Mentally, you become stronger, and the dead can't control strong minds, simple as that. Which is why Rei being possessed is strange, since he's the oldest among us. Besides Len, of course," Piko's mismatched eyes met Len's gaze, curious. Len shook his head.

"How old is Rei, exactly? You all look the same age anyway," Miku asked, sounding a little suspicious. Piko simply smiled and shrugged, not answering the question, and Miku turned to him, searching for answers. Len just responded in pretty much the same way as Piko, and Miku let out an irritated sigh, folding her arms. "Perhaps I should just ask Rei himself, he might be a little more cooperative," she muttered, but both boys heard her perfectly clearly. Despite himself, Len's lips curved into a smirk, while Piko outright laughed, covering his mouth with his free hand. Miku glared at him.

"Oh, it's just obvious that you don't know Rei well. He's never cooperative," Piko explained himself after he calmed down a little. "But if you actually dare to find Rei and talk to him, I'll applaud your bravery. And I hope you emerge from the encounter unscathed," he added mysteriously. Len called Piko's name sharply, looking almost angry, and Piko blinked, looking back at her – she had the vague sense that Piko had just said something he wasn't meant to say. Was it the last part, about her hopefully emerging unscathed from the encounter? That was the only suspicious sounding part.

She shivered. Rei was starting to seem dangerous, perhaps even more so than Nero and Piko. She barely knew the boy, only having talked to him that one time in his room before he seemed to completely disappear. In fact, tonight was the first time in maybe…a week, that she had even seen hints of him being back in the den. For the entire duration of her stay, Rei was mysteriously absent.

"What's wrong with Rei? Why should he pose any danger at all to me?" she demanded, this time looking directly at Len. If this was a serious matter, she wanted to know from the leader of the Lost Boys, not from Piko, who sometimes seemed like he wasn't being entirely truthful or serious. "Is there something about his absence that you all aren't telling me about?" her eyes narrowed. She had tried not to suspect anything about his disappearance, telling herself that it probably had nothing to do with her, and for a while this worked – but now the old doubts were resurfacing.

"It's nothing," Len replied, looking impassive. She could not tell if he was lying or not. "Don't think about it. You know how much Piko likes to joke around you, take his words with a pinch of salt," he concluded dismissively. She glanced at the silver haired boy seated next to her, and he grinned at her playfully, waving his free hand. Her doubts did not fade, because when Piko actually said that suspicious phrase he had not sounded like he was kidding. But pressing on about the matter would not lead to anything now. She decided she would question Len later, while he was preparing to sleep. Perhaps he would be slightly more susceptible when he was tired, and alone with her.

So she pretended that she believed them. "Fine, whatever you say," she looked at the hunk of rabbit on the spit, her nose wrinkled. She could not deny that it looked very appealing, but she knew from personal experience that looks were deceiving. That meat would no doubt be stringy and foul, but when Gumo came back there would be three people watching her and she was certain there was no way for her to throw the meat away without them noticing. Besides, it would be bad to waste food here, she was aware – but it didn't mean she enjoyed eating this when it was so…unpalatable.

Piko noticed her grimace. "I'm going to watch you," he said warningly, waving the spit right at her. "You better make sure you eat every single chunk of meat here. Nero told me that later you'll be having physical training with him in the forest, so you better eat this to keep your energy up. No point having physical training if you'll just end up collapsing in the forest," he stared at her until she unwillingly nodded. Len had the most penetrating stare, but Piko's gaze was…unnerving. Perhaps it was something to do with how those two eyes were distinctly different colours. She had never met someone with his condition before – heterochromia? – and it was both fascinating and…creepy.

"Oh yes, the physical training," Len echoed, a small smile on his face. "I hope Nero has told you that I'll be there to observe tonight. I want to see exactly how much you've improved, Miku," he seemed to be completely earnest, but she didn't like the look of contemplation he wore. "What Nero tells me isn't exactly…conclusive, and I want to see it all with my own eyes. But don't worry," his smile widened, "me being there shouldn't give you any additional pressure. You won't even see me, but I'll be there. So, like Piko said, best for you to eat up," he tilted his head towards the roasted rabbit.

Her grimace deepened. Somehow she felt like she was being threatened, though there was nothing in what either Len or Piko said that sounded like a warning. It was the tone of their voice, and the look in Len's eyes – it told her to prepare herself. Before she could respond snappishly, as she was tempted to do, Gumo returned, holding a metal tray. "Are you all arguing?" he asked innocently as he returned to the campfire, preventing any of them from saying another word. "Let's not argue," he said awkwardly, "we shouldn't be fighting in times like these. Ah, you can put the rabbit here, Piko."

Gumo's presence soothed the tense – at least to her, it was tense – atmosphere a little, and they continued talking like nothing had happened. He really was the peacemaker of the group, she mused. What would Neverland and the Lost Boys be like without him? She believed that if Gumo wasn't around, she might be driven crazy, or at least crazier than she was already perceived to be. "How's life in Neverland so far, Miku?" Gumo asked, passing the plate with the rabbit along to her.

She held the metal plate in her hands, frowning down at the dead animal. It was strange to think that this was once a living, breathing creature. Now all she saw was roasted flesh. She had never thought about this before back home, because back home she never witnessed first-hand the change from animal to meal. She didn't have to watch the carcass being skinned and then stuck on a skewer and then being roasted in its own juices. Life was much harder than she once thought it was.

Gumo, who must have felt her reluctance to tear into the rabbit like the rest of them, took the plate back and helped her tear off one leg, leaving the torso. Piko, who took hold of the plate after her, passed it on to Len, who shrugged and claimed the torso for his own. "Oh, where are Nero and Rei?" Gumo asked, clearly realising there was excess meat, which drew attention to the fact that two of them were missing. "I haven't seen them ever since I came back from hunting. I mean, Rei's absence isn't surprising, but I figured Nero would be here by now, complaining about how hungry he is…"

"He said he's going to prepare for physical training later," Len answered, glancing at her as he did so. "He has plans in mind. I'm curious about what he has in store," Len smiled, a serene, unruffled smile, though she bet that devilish thoughts lurked behind that peaceful façade. "Nero does promise that it will be fun and entertaining, and we should all go watch," he addressed Piko and Gumo, purposely oblivious to Miku's growing anxiety. She had enough trouble when just training with Nero. Being watched by Len, and now possibly all the Lost Boys, would just make her panic even more.

"That sounds like fun, what do you say, Piko?" Gumo chirped, also not noticing Miku's fidgeting next to him. Piko grinned and nodded, looking like a cat with a plate full of cream – there was hungry, sly intent in that gaze, and she had to look down at the floor to avoid catching his eye. "Well, then we'll all come and support you! Don't worry, you'll do great, Nero has been talking about how much you've improved lately," the dear, sweet, painfully oblivious Gumo clapped her hard on the back.

She choked, eyes watering, and he instantly started patting her, looking concerned. "Sorry, I forget my own strength at times!" he apologised, rubbing her shoulders until her coughing subsided. She held out her hand, shaking her head as she recovered. It wasn't the force of his blow which made her choke, though she did feel a burning sensation where his hand initially made contact.

"Nero said I improved?" she spluttered, unable to believe what the green haired boy just said. Gumo blinked at her, clearly confused, and nodded. She could not bring herself to think that he was lying, because sweet, sweet Gumo could never possibly tell a lie. "No way! Every time he sees me throw a knife he tells me about how terrible I am, how I have lousy aim, how I wouldn't be able to strike a deer even if it came up to me and stuck its neck out for me to hit. He can't possibly have told anyone that I made any improvement," she said in disbelief. Len and Piko snorted, but Gumo looked perfectly serious, and he shook his head frantically even before she finished her sentence.

"Nero is all bark and no bite…well, he does have bite, but he's more bark than bite," Gumo cut in the moment she paused to take a breath. "He might say that you're terrible but that's just to motivate you to improve! He's short-tempered and busy but he won't ever neglect training another person. He was the one who taught me everything I know! Well…him along with Rei, I suppose, but Nero is really good at technique and he doesn't have any biasedness at all, he treated me like crap the first few months too," Gumo laughed to himself. "Oh wait, why am I even defending him?" he paused, looking confused. "But my point is, he might say one thing in front of you, but he tells us other things. You can't really think Nero would invite Len to watch you if he didn't think you're worthy."

Now, she found that difficult to believe despite Gumo's earnestness, because the Nero she knew was in no way a good teacher. She had, after all, just yelled at him about how he always neglected her to fulfil his duties, how he only seemed to do the bare minimum to avoid getting into trouble. He had always given her that impression, that he disliked her and was only doing this because he had no other choice. Training her was a better alternative compared to getting into trouble with Len, wasn't it? Akita Nero never bothered to correct the impression she had of him either, although she was fairly certain that he was aware of the way she thought of him. He did not bother hiding his attitude.

Len and Piko had quietened by now, though humour still gleamed in Piko's dual-coloured eyes. "No one can blame her for being frightened of Nero," Piko chortled. "He's a scary thing, he is! But he's a real pussy at heart. You yell back at him and he starts backing down immediately," Piko grinned at Len like there was some kind of inside joke going on, but Piko's words just made her wonder if Nero had told him about what happened earlier. His words did seem to correspond exactly to her actions.

Len did not return Piko's look, so focused was he upon her. "I don't want anything between my Lost Children," he stated simply. "Think of Nero how you will, but don't forget that now we all rely on each other to survive; there are no feuds between us, no animosity or hatred. Any problems you have with Nero, you come and talk to me. Don't hate him for his job," he was perfectly serious in the same way Gumo was, but she did not feel the same sense of disbelief – instead, she felt obliged to listen to him and understand everything which he said. Perhaps this was the mark of a true leader.

"Fine," her voice trembled, and she rose from her seat, still carrying the leg Gumo had given her in her hand. The morsel of meat, still uneaten, dangled limply by her side. "I won't hate him. I don't, but that doesn't mean I really want to spend any more time with him than I need to. No matter what you say, Gumo, he doesn't give me the impression that he really wants to train me at all! It's not about treating me like crap, though I could handle that. He doesn't even take his job seriously. Do you know how many times I've been in that room, just tossing knives over and over again without anyone watching over my technique and guiding me? And where was Nero while those hours passed?" she demanded. She wondered where this sudden, explosive bout of bravery came from.

Gumo was blinking up at her, apparently startled, while Len and Piko made little reaction, talking quietly to each other over the fire as she spoke her passionate speech. She glared at them – were they not paying attention to her? She cleared her throat, but before she could continue, a voice rang out through the cave, and she froze, not daring to turn back and face the owner of that voice.

"Perhaps I really was busy. Maybe that wasn't something you thought of," Nero said icily, his voice getting louder as he approached the fire. "Maybe if I had time I would guide you, but you have to learn to make do without help. Would you really survive here if you were spoon-fed every step of the way? I think not," he was right behind her now, and she flinched because his presence alone was terribly unnerving. "If you have any problems, Hatsune," he leant close to her, lips against her ear, his words a soft whisper, "then I would recommend that you come directly to me, and discuss your concerns with _me_ instead of going on and on about circumstances you _do not understand_ ," his voice was still cold and even, and it scared her more than any of his previous outbursts ever had, because the Nero she knew was loud, vocal and passionate. He rarely restrained his temper as he did now.

Somehow, him restraining himself made her feel like she would be in a whole lot of trouble the next time they were alone, as though he was just holding back all the anger now so he could explode all the more viciously next time. She nodded, swallowing, and resolved silently to drag Gumo along with her the next time she had training with Nero. She could always hope that Nero would mysteriously disappear while training as he usually did, but somehow after her public outburst, she doubted that would happen. Nero left, going to sit next to Len. His violet eyes shot daggers at her the whole time.

She hadn't meant to talk about her issues, she really hadn't. It was just…she suddenly felt the need to address her grievous disadvantages. After all, Nero's sudden patience could not possibly last, and she wanted Len to know exactly what Nero was doing during their so-called training sessions. She hoped that he would come up with a more permanent, effective solution to Nero's disappearing than just her yelling at him every time she couldn't handle it anymore. Maybe she should have talked to Len in private…but Gumo's words had made her want to speak out. She felt offended.

Gumo might claim that Nero treated him "like crap", but he didn't disappear midway through sessions. He didn't tell him that he was useless and that he would die the day he left the den…at least, she doubted he did that. But her? Nero was, honestly, never around. She could count the number of times he actually showed up in the training cave on one hand, or less. Whenever he showed up, it was scarcely for more than a few minutes anyway, usually because he had to grab some weaponry or something from the room and decided to criticise her technique while he was at it. She sometimes wondered if it was just because she was a girl – did he, from the very start, already label her as weak and undeserving of his attentions simply because of her gender? Was it because from the start, he already saw her as naturally weaker than the boys, and less able to survive?

She was tired of being treated _different_ just because she was a girl. She couldn't be sure how much of it was because she was new, and how much was because of her gender. She was sure that Piko would not be hitting on her all the time if she was a boy, and she suspected that Nero might treat her marginally better if she was not female, too. She wondered if Len would be less careful with his words around her if she was a boy, if Rei wouldn't disappear so much if she wasn't who she was. She even wondered if Gumo would treat her less delicately if she was…well, a boy, like the rest of them.

"Miku, you can sit down now," Len's words broke into her thoughts, and she jumped, startled. The other four were staring at her, Nero's gaze still painfully sharp, and she figured they must have been trying to get her attention for a while now. She muttered some words of excuse and hastily sat back down, avoiding those narrowed violet eyes as she slowly chewed on roast meat, heavy with its acrid, bitter undertone. She dreaded facing him alone later in the forest. She dreaded all the Lost Boys watching her – it made her feel like she was a curiosity, an exhibit rather than a proper person. Did they all agree to watch her just because she was, once again, different? Surely they all had physical training before, and surely not all of them went to watch each other while training, right?

 _Gumo won't think that, you know he's nice._ Yes, Gumo was nice, but Piko's wicked smile when he nodded and agreed to watch her was too suspicious for her liking. She resolved to bring up the topic of her gender later with Len, when they were alone. It was a sensitive issue, for her at least, and she didn't want to work herself up again right after her outburst about Nero. Oh, and she had to ask about Rei as well…she could probably combine the two questions, since she bet Rei's avoidance of her had something to do with her being a girl, anyway. She never expected that coming here, with boys her age, would be like society back home, or even worse. She didn't think she would feel so strangely ostracised because she was not a boy like them. It was an odd feeling. She disliked it.

But better to stop thinking so much, it would just bring her more worry. She would just focus on clearing whatever hellish obstacle course or physical training Nero had devised for her later, and when that was done and she was tired as tired could be, she would ask Len for her answers.


	16. Chapter 16

Miku was scared. She couldn't see where she was going, the only sense of direction she had coming from the soft voice giving her directions, behind her, one hand placed on her shoulder. Nero was the one guiding her, which made her even more wary because she still recalled the look on his face earlier...

Being blindfolded in the dark was not fun. She could hear nothing other than the sound of breathing, of leaves crackling beneath their feet, her heart thudding away in her chest. "Turn left," Nero said, voice still quiet and even, and she did as he said, turning carefully and walking ahead. His hand remained on her shoulder, stopping her at times, telling her to step carefully over a pothole, or otherwise just ensuring that she didn't trip over exposed tree roots. She swallowed, but her throat was dry, and she wanted to choke from the fear. _Where am I going…where are we going, Nero?_

But he wouldn't respond to her. She had already asked earlier, but he made no reply, and in the end she just stopped questioning. She was certain that he was leading her to where her test would be taken, but this was the first time she was blindfolded, and new things always made her nervous. "Now keep walking straight until I tell you to stop," he instructed, and slowly she put one foot before the other, doing as he told her to. The forest was a little cold, and she could feel the cool mist lightly brushing against her skin, raising chilled little bumps on her arms. Her breath caught in her throat.

She wondered if he was leading her on some grand roundabout solely for his sadistic pleasure, just so he could enjoy watching her squirm in fear, but some deep, unconscious part of her knew that was not possible – Nero was not… _underhanded_ , he was upright and confrontational when he was angry. Besides, the other Lost Boys were following them, though right now she couldn't hear any of them around her, so surely this had to be something official, otherwise Len wouldn't have condoned this. But they had been walking together for what felt like hours now, and still they had not stopped.

"Okay, stop…right… _here_ ," Nero muttered, and she froze, wondering if it was all over yet. He placed both hands on her shoulders and spun her around, completely destroying her orientation and meagre sense of direction, and she shook her head, gasping as her dizziness increased. A few seconds later, he stopped and steadied her, before reaching behind her to untie the blindfold. She winced, squinting a little as the bright moonlight flooded her vision – after being placed in complete darkness, seeing any form of light at all was startling. A hand was waved before her face, and she looked in the direction of the person – Nero stood there, looking impatient, his other hand holding on to the cloth blindfold he had used to cover her eyes. "Stop spacing out," he snapped, sounding more like his usual self than the quiet, reserved boy who had guided her through the forest.

"So what am I supposed to do?" she asked, glancing around her at her surroundings. She didn't recognise this part of the forest, but then she didn't really recognise _any_ part of the forest. She hadn't been here long enough to really get a grasp of the topography. The darkness did not help, for whenever she was brought out to see the surroundings it was always in the day. In the darkness, when night cloaked Neverland in its velvet black, the trees looked like faces and the branches like arms, grinning wickedly and reaching out towards her. She couldn't help but shy away.

"Simple. There won't be any running or lifting or any other physical activity during today's test," he replied, much to her surprise. Usually her physical training in the forest involved him yelling at her, and her trying not to trip over her own feet as she ran laps around him. Or it involved her trying to lift heavy objects while he yawned and waited impatiently for her to finish carrying the firewood. "Today, you just have to find your way back to the den," Nero stated, and her eyes widened in utter disbelief. No way, not when she didn't know the place – right? Surely not even Nero would do this…

He continued, either truly oblivious to her turmoil or noticing her fear and simply ignoring her. The latter seemed more likely. "You have an hour to make your way back. Len is somewhere in the forest, and he will come and save you should anything happen to you. Whether or not he's _here_ or just somewhere waiting for you, I can't say," Nero shrugged. He pointed to the dagger that was strapped clumsily to her hip. "You have basic knowledge of how to use that by now, so if you must, kill. Don't think about showing mercy in the face of death. It'll be nice if you can bring back some meat while you're out here, but my expectations aren't that high…oh, and one last word of advice," his violet eyes were black in the darkness, "if you see a purplish-blue, flickering flame dancing through the trees, you get the hell out of there, even if it takes you further away from the den. Under no circumstances are you allowed to get near the flame, do you understand me?" he asked.

She nodded, uncomfortable. The flames he described must be the will-o'-the-wisp Piko had told her about. She was hoping that she wouldn't run into them, because they sounded like malevolent entities and she faced enough malevolence in the den already. Nero smiled then – it wasn't a particularly pleasant smile. "You might be tempted to follow me later when I leave. Trust me, don't. I won't be heading directly back to the den and there's no way you can keep up with me, so you should rely on yourself because if you get lost on my route, it'll be even harder to find your way back than from here. Oh, one last thing…" he tilted his head, "don't let the tigers pounce on you."

"What tigers?" she almost shouted, her voice loud in the darkness – but her words went unheard, because before she even opened her mouth the blond haired boy darted away into the darkness, leaving her alone in the small clearing, heart racing, fingers clenched into fists. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Nero said that Len was around in the forest somewhere. If she screamed loud enough he would probably come to rescue her – she couldn't believe the Lost Boys were so heartless that they would completely abandon her in the forest, leaving her with no aid whatsoever. Unless…unless they had planned it?

Her paranoia spun all sorts of fears. No, she had to stop thinking that they had found out she was weird, or didn't want to associate themselves with her anymore. They wouldn't have made her eat up to gain energy if they really wanted to ditch her, she reassured herself. Making herself swallow, the motion grounding her somewhat in her reality, she looked around. Everywhere, every part of the forest looked the same to her – dark, distant, and impenetrable. She had to choose a path.

Nero had ran off into the forest ahead. He said not to follow him, so…maybe she should go in the opposite direction. It wasn't like she had any idea where she was anyway, so carefully she took her first step in that general direction, fervently praying that nothing would suddenly jump out at her and eat her. When she was still alive ten steps later, she slowly gained some courage, and decided that maybe she would just follow this faint path until she finally reached some sort of junction.

The forest was coming alive now, or maybe the sounds were always there and her fear had rendered her deaf to the wildlife. She could hear the hoots of owls and the occasional sound of something moving in the undergrowth – that always made her whip around, gaze searching, for the culprit, which almost always turned out to be a rabbit, deer or some other woodland animal. There was once she caught a glimpse of silver, and wondered if it was Piko, but she could not be certain.

The hike was relatively peaceful, and wasn't quite as scary as she thought it would be – though honestly, the real fear here was not going through the forest, it was getting hopelessly lost and running into something hostile. The boys told her about the wolves and the will-o'-the-wisps, and she guessed she sort of knew how to handle these problems, but it was the first time she would really be tested, where she really might run into these beings and be in danger, and she was not looking forward to that. Gumo reassured her that the wolves were not hungry _yet_ , so honestly the real danger was the will-'o-the-wisps. Nero's helpful advice was simply to run, and she would.

Were the other territories, those Red Indian plains and the pirates' territory, as dangerous as the forest? She had never really seen the other places, not even the plains since during the Hunt, everyone had kept to the forested area of the Red Indian land. They must have their own dangers, or else the Lost Boys would not simply have stayed on here, she decided. She was curious though – she wanted to see the other lands, and wondered if she would ever have a chance to do so.

The night forest was lulling her into a sense of security now, and her stride was getting bolder, more relaxed and confident. The trees didn't look quite as intimidating anymore, and though consciously she knew that she could not just let down her guard, the forest around her was making that difficult. She had already trekked down the path she chose, and turned left at two junctions. Though she was not getting to anywhere familiar yet, nothing had happened to her, and she thought she could relax. This was, honestly, the least strenuous physical training she ever had yet, it was just…troublesome.

Another owl hooted, and again the undergrowth rustled. She looked again, out of habit, and saw the wide eyes of a doe staring back at her, its head poking out from a bush. The doe was bathed by moonlight, and its expression was blank but strangely endearing, and she felt the sudden desire to go over and stroke it. Surely nothing bad could happen from that – she neglected to think of the dangers that might come with straying off the beaten path – and so she made her way to the deer.

The deer did not move as she came closer to it, slow and hesitant for fear of driving it away. Slowly, she reached out to pat the doe on the head, and still the deer did not react, nor did it even seem to notice her presence. It didn't even turn towards her hand. Miku started to feel suspicious, that maybe this was a trick that the Lost Boys had pulled on her, and decided to withdraw her hand.

Yet the moment she pulled back, the deer suddenly turned sharply towards her, and again she felt that strange, almost overwhelming urge to touch it. She was more conscious now, however, of how foreign the impulse was – she didn't _want_ to touch it, something else was making her want to stroke the damn thing, something else was tampering with her will. She quickly stepped further back, and the deer's magnetic pull suddenly broke, though it remained there, sticking out from the bush, looking right at her. She wanted to get the hell out of there, because strange deer with pleading eyes were definitely not normal even in Neverland, but as she turned to go, she swore she heard it _talk_.

She whipped around, staring in shock at the animal. The head was looking at her, still creepy, never blinking, and its mouth had not even moved. But she knew she heard the words, " _Follow me_ …" in the wind, and the only thing in the area that could have possibly said that was the deer. There was no one else around her. And that was not the voice of any of the Lost Boys, so it couldn't have been them pulling some kind of prank. They told her about wolves and about dancing flames, but she was utterly unprepared for talking animals. No one told her Neverland's animals could speak.

" _Follow me…_ " again, that creepy, whispery voice, but this time she was looking directly at the deer and she knew that its mouth definitely had not opened. This was bad. She had to get out of here as soon as possible, she had stayed in this area for way too long already. She made to leave.

The doe opened its mouth and screamed, an almost _human_ scream, and she flinched, stopping in her tracks. She slowly backed away from the deer, and when her foot stepped on something hard, she looked down, always keeping the doe in peripheral view. She saw she had stepped on a long branch, and thought maybe if she used it to poke the animal it might run away and leave her alone. Happy with this idea, she grasped the stick, then she stood as far away as the stick permitted from the bush, hesitantly reaching out to poke the stick around the leaves. The deer refused to budge.

Her sudden situation – she had just been happily, peacefully hiking through the forest, convinced she wouldn't run into anything too unmanageable, yet now she was stopped by a damn _deer_ – suddenly crashed into her. It was all so frustrating – why couldn't anything in Neverland, even the most simplest of things, ever go right for her? With a grunt, she poked the stick right at its face, hard against the snout, and realised that the head felt suspiciously…free. She poked the head again.

The head fell from the bush, and she almost threw up – the neck was severed from the body, jagged wound bloodless and clean. The doe's eyes were still wide and staring up at her, almost accusatorily now. She looked away from the fallen head, back at the bush – there was no sign of any body, so who…who had put the head there? _No, better not investigate it, you'll probably end up in trouble_. She decided to follow her instincts and just get out of here. This was unnatural. This was _wrong_.

Tossing the stick on the ground, she quickly ran down the path away from the dead doe, deciding that she was going to ask the Lost Boys about it later. Surely one of them had decided to prank her, severed animal heads didn't just poke out from bushes, right? It had to be a prank, there was no other explanation. It didn't make her feel better, but it helped prevent her from hyperventilating, at least. She knew she had to keep her calm while she was stranded outside in the dark like this.

She ran blindly as far as she could before she stopped from exhaustion, breathing heavily, hands placed on her knees. She wasn't really sure where she ran to, if she had passed any junctions or anything, but she was glad that she was away from the severed doe head. The forest was dark and unchanging, and after she rested a little, she took charge of her bearings. She definitely would not be going back down the path she came, so that left…straight ahead, for left and right was nothing but trees and undergrowth. And, after that experience, she was not going to trek into the dark woods. She was going to stay on the path and keep herself relatively safe, even if it took longer.

She carefully walked onwards, resolving to not go forward and pet any strange animals no matter how tempting it was. She was not going to go through a second scare. It made her jumpy though, and she could no longer fall into that easy relaxed rhythm she had earlier – every sound made her flinch now, and she was so tensed up that it almost hurt. She wanted to get back to the den as soon as she could, and wondered if sobbing and breaking down in tears would make Len appear to save her. Forget trying to prove that a girl was strong and shouldn't be ostracised by boys like them. She just wanted to save herself, and she wasn't going to throw away her sanity for the sake of pride.

However, before resorting to that, she would at least try to find a way. The owls were quiet now, and the crickets had stopped chirping too, the ambient background completely silent, and that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She knew something was wrong – but was it here, where she was, or was it back where she left the head? In fact, come to think of it, the animals had stopped making their nocturnal noises quite some time ago, but when…when exactly did it stop?

She turned a corner, right around a thick tree, then she let out a scream, sharp and short – she couldn't stop herself. Because, right before her disbelieving eyes, was a standing, headless deer. It was facing her, as though it could tell where she was despite not having a head – she could see it standing on all four legs, facing her, its neck clean and bloodless, _standing on four legs_ – and she instantly wondered if it was the same doe she ran away from just moments ago, and knew that she had to get away. But where? Where could she possibly run to, when it was in front of her?

If she ran back down the path, then she would meet that accursed head again. _Maybe better a head than a body_. In a second, her decision was made, and she turned tail and fled. Adrenaline lent energy to her tired muscles, and she ran further and faster than she ever possibly thought she could. She could hear the sound of running behind her, legs thumping against the forest ground, and knew without even looking that the body of the deer was chasing her. She wanted to be sick. She wanted to throw up, to disbelieve – everything was automatic now, there was no time for her to think. But the image of the headless deer was branded into her memory. It looked almost cartoonish, but that was the scary part. Because it was real, everything was real, and she thought she was going to die.

She saw, right ahead of her, a junction, and immediately she turned right, a little glad that she didn't have to continue all the way and run back past that head. The headless deer was still running after her though, and she feared that it might catch up – the sounds of cloven feet were getting nearer and nearer, and although the deer was headless and most likely couldn't do much physical harm to her…no, it was unnatural, she wasn't going to have anything to do with it. Was this all…a dream?

If it was a dream, then she hoped she would wake up soon, because this seemed to be too warped, too fantastical, even for Neverland. The moonlight was shining bright into another clearing just ahead, and somehow she felt soothed by the sight of it – the moonlight was good, anywhere with light was good, as long as she could get out of the dark, eternal forest. She sprinted towards the clearing, lungs burning in their desperate need for oxygen, but she forced herself to press on – she believed, somehow, that if she got to the clearing, everything would be safe. She would be okay.

She was only a few hundred metres away now. She was tiring, but she had to make it. She _had_ to. So she pushed herself with her last few vestiges of strength, though her muscles were screaming for mercy and there was nothing more she wanted to do than to just stop and breathe – and, closing her eyes, she practically felt herself burst into the silver clearing, a feeling of utter relief spreading, without explanation, throughout her body. The momentum brought her forward some distance more into the clearing, and she crashed into something. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw Len staring right back at her as his arms steadied her, a curious look on his face. She almost cried.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brow furrowing as he took in the panicked look on her face. She didn't question how he suddenly appeared from nowhere, although she was sure she had not seen anyone in the clearing when she was running over. Maybe her adrenaline had blinded her. She was breathing heavily, in and out, her lungs on fire, and all she could do was point frantically back to where she knew the headless deer was. Len was here now. Len would keep her safe from that thing.

He looked. "There's nothing there…" he said quietly, and she looked around, puzzled but certain the deer had not given up the chase. The headless body was still there, pacing around the shadowy side of the clearing, so how could Len not see anything? "Did you see something?" he probed, when she looked frantically back at him, shaking her head and pointing at the deer. Her throat still could not produce a sound yet, but Len humoured her, looking again in the direction she indicated. "I still don't see anything there. What did you see in the forest? You need to tell me," he demanded.

She looked up at him, searching his face. There was something strange about Len – he seemed to be uncharacteristically concerned, which she liked, but it was still somewhat suspicious. The Len she knew was not a very openly emotional or caring person. There was something, just something, which was slightly _off_ about him – and finally, she managed to pinpoint it. She froze, heartbeat speeding up at once because now she didn't want him anywhere near her. "Hey, Len?" she wheezed out, stepping away from his arms, "since when…were your eyes…green?" she finished.

Those green eyes narrowed, green eyes which were beautiful like his blue ones, but colder and deadlier and _definitely_ not Len's. "I thought you wouldn't notice," he said, voice taking on a sibilant quality. "Poor little doe, running away lost in the forest – what is Peter Pan doing with his charges, I wonder? Is he giving us willing minds and souls?" as he spoke, his body slowly crumpled, dissolving into nothingness, and from empty space rose up purplish-blue flame…she wanted to panic, her heart thudding loudly.

She looked back at the clearing's edge. The headless doe had undergone a similar transformation – the doe was gone, and in its place was another will-o'-the-wisp, waiting in the shadows. The one in front of her spoke – it was not so much words as a message sent directly to her mind, for how could a sentient flame possibly speak? " _We almost caught you…if you had stroked that head, we would have taken you…but you left…and now my friend wants a new body, he wants to invade his first human and gain the ability to walk in moonlight and change his form…"_ the will-o'-the-wisp was approaching her, and she trembled, because she knew there was no way she could escape. " _When the Lost Boys send us a willing victim, then we would be fools to reject a gift_ ," the flame hissed.

"Get away from me!" she shrieked, trying to dart past the flame – it was clearly the more powerful one between the two. It blocked her passage easily, and she could have sworn it laughed if a flickering flame could laugh. For a moment, just a moment, she had thought she would be safe. It was all just a trick, just a disgusting illusion – did the Lost Boys really set her up as an unwilling sacrifice? No, she couldn't believe that. She had to believe…she had to hope, before she lost herself completely.

 _"Well, I shall take you first,"_ the will-o'-the-wisp mused, " _and then I shall lead you to my friend so he can take you instead. It shall be a nice exchange, very painless. You won't feel a thing_ ," the flame promised her, but she felt far from reassured. The flame drifted towards her, and she stepped back, but she felt a chilling presence behind her and knew there was another flame there, waiting for her too. She was trapped between them, and in desperation she swung the dagger sheathed at her hip at the will-o'-the-wisp.

The blade went through the flame like there was nothing there, and the flame laughed. " _Humans are so funny in times of crisis. They do strange things. Funny that I used to belong to a human. I could never make myself do the strange things your kind does,"_ with that, the purplish blue flame sped towards her, wrapping itself around her face, and she felt herself beginning to suffocate. Her hands flailed and she tried to tear it away from her, but the will-o'-the-wisp was both searing hot and freezing cold and it didn't take long for her to start tiring, falling to her knees as her oxygen supply was slowly, steadily cut off. Feebly, she tried to pull the flame away from her face again, but her fingers passed through the spirit and left her skin numb and burnt. Her eyes were closing.

Faintly, some distance away, she heard a new, unfamiliar voice, and suddenly the flame spirit was ripped away from her face and she could breathe again. There was an unearthly shriek of fury and slowly, her eyes opened – before her, a cloaked figure was holding out a hand, the other hand holding on to a staff, seemingly muttering some kind of arcane chant, and the wicked flames were dancing through the air, shrieking and writhing in…pain, could these spirits feel pain? A few seconds of this treatment later, the flames disappeared from existence, and the forest was calm, the sounds of the night returned. Miku stared at the cloaked figure who saved her, still on her knees.

"Who are you?" her voice was a soft whisper. She wouldn't be surprised if, at this stage, this person saved her from death to send her to another, far worse one. She was pretty much resigned to dying in the forest already. The other Lost Boys didn't even seem to be anywhere in the vicinity. She was well and truly alone. The figure, who had turned away from her, paused at her words. Its pale hand was holding tightly on to its wooden staff, and it slowly looked back at her, still covered by its cloak.

"I am no one," the figure replied, and to her surprise it had the high-pitched voice of a girl. "I roam through these forests, a ghost as much as these flames are. It is why I can banish them at will. But you will not see me again," the figure, the girl, sounded pensive. "You seek the Lost Boys and Kagamine Len, do you not?" she asked. Without waiting for Miku to answer, she continued, "You will find them if you head straight down from here and turn right at the first junction you come across. He is waiting for you there. The will-o'-the-wisps shall not bother you anymore. Good luck, Hatsune Miku."

Miku was surprised that this mysterious girl knew her name, but she could not force herself to ask any more questions – her voice was sealed in her throat. She also seemed to be rooted to the ground, unable to rise from her knees. It was only after the mysterious cloaked girl disappeared into the forest that Miku was able to rise and speak again. She went after the figure, curious, but the person was completely gone – it was like she had never even been here. Puzzled, Miku decided she would ask Len about her fateful encounter, and see whether he had ever experienced this before too.

She followed the directions her unknown saviour had given her, and sure enough it seemed like scarcely moments later that she ran into Len, the real Len this time, who took note of her pale face and terrified eyes and asked her what the matter was, in his usual curt, almost brusque way. She was just so relieved to see him that she went straight to hug him, ignoring the fact that he normally was uncomfortable with showing concern or affection, and after a few seconds of him not reacting at all, he slowly returned the hug, patting her awkwardly on the back. He didn't ask anything else.

Later, later she would ask Len about the girl she encountered, but only when they were in the safety of the den, when they were not alone in the forest, so vulnerable to the dangers surrounding them. For now, she was just content to feel the presence of another human being. At least she was not alone – at least, if they ran into any trouble now, she knew her screams would not go unheard.

* * *

"There's no other human living in the forest. No one other than us. If there was anyone else…well, they probably died ages ago," Len looked at her, head tilted. They were all seated around the fire now, and she was warming her hands by the crackling flame, still shaken by her earlier experiences.

All the Lost Boys were here, even Nero and Rei, who were both usually absent from gatherings. Nero and Rei were seated opposite her, and though Nero paid attention to what she was saying, Rei was quite noticeably avoiding looking at her. He seemed almost guilty, and she wanted to know what his problem was – but first of all, she had to recount everything that happened to her while she was stranded in the forest. Len and Nero were both frowning, while Piko and Gumo simply looked rather puzzled, like they had not managed to grasp the full magnitude of the situation. And Rei simply avoided her eyes and shifted around like he couldn't wait to bolt away from the cave right now.

Nero, who seemed to be somewhat annoyed by Rei's constant fidgeting, hit the black haired boy in the shoulder, and Rei seemed to calm down a little, though he still refused to meet her gaze. She knew that he could feel her looking at him, but he simply refused to look back up at her. What could he possibly be hiding? "You didn't get her name, or what she looked like, or _anything_? Can you give us any details about this person? She must be strong if she could just banish the will-o'-the-wisps like that – and speaking of which, don't be so careless next time," Len almost seemed to be scolding her. "If you see something suspicious like that deer, don't go and pet it. That's why they fixated on you, they could tell you were vulnerable and susceptible to them. Just ignore anything odd you see."

She nodded, keeping that in mind. She wanted to know how to fend off their attacks, how she could strengthen her mental defences like the boys did so she would not be targeted, but she could ask that later. "That girl…she seemed to be around my height, I think," she thought back to her memories of the cloaked figure, though they were a little hazy since she had been suffocating at the time. "Or maybe shorter than me. Her voice is very high-pitched, so I could tell straightaway she wasn't a boy. She held out a hand and muttered some strange spell, and the will-o'-the-wisps left me and started writhing in pain before they disappeared. She was carrying a staff…and wore an old grey cloak."

Len glanced at the other boys, who all shook their heads, even Rei, though she wondered whether Rei even knew what he was denying. "We've all never seen such a person in our territory before," he turned back to her, brow still furrowed. "I don't know who she is, but…did she say anything to you after she chased away the will-o'-the-wisps?" he was looking steadily at her, and she had to focus really hard to bring back the memory, because his piercing gaze was…distracting.

"She said I won't ever see her again, and that the will-o'-the-wisps will stop harassing me. I don't know if it was just for tonight or forever, though," she added. It would be nice if the spirit flames could never touch her again, but she didn't believe she would get such a good deal out of a chance encounter. "Oh!" she remembered. "She seemed to know who you are…who you all are, but she knew you especially, Len. She referred to specifically you by name," she noted. The other boys shifted restlessly, and she guessed they were uncomfortable with some stranger knowing who they were. Len alone did not fidget, though his eyes closed momentarily, like he was thinking…

"That's good, I think you've told us enough. You're tired, aren't you?" he asked, effectively bringing the discussion to a close. Nero looked ready to protest, clearly wanting to grill her further, but Len shot him a look and he backed down, eyeing her the whole time. "Go back to the room and get some rest, I think you deserve it. Good job getting out of the forest without help…for the most part," he rose from his seat, towering over the rest of them. The other boys looked up to him, and Miku was struck by the image of his shadow, flickering tall and powerful and covering the wall, covering the rest of them. He seemed almost like a god, to these boys. Would he, in time, become a god to her as well? She didn't want that.

"The rest of you…if you want to eat, eat. If you want to talk, then talk. But I don't want anyone else to leave the den today, not till the next night. The sun's going to rise soon anyway," he looked up into the open sky, where the dark blue of the night seemed to be perhaps just a shade lighter. "The will-o'-the-wisps are probably restless since they lost a potential victim, and we don't want anyone to be targeted by them," was it her imagination, or did Len seem to be directing his words at Gumo in particular? Gumo did appear to be somewhat uncomfortable, looking steadily into the fire at the mention of the ghostly flames. Maybe one day she would ask him about his past and story.

After this, Len walked away from the campfire, towards the cavern exit. The rest of them remained around the campfire, silent and unmoving, looking at each other shiftily yet no one really wanting to stand up first. Finally, Piko was the first to move – with an exaggerated yawn and a stretch, he bade them good night and left the campfire, heading back towards his room. His departure seemed to break some kind of spell and, one by one, the other Lost Boys headed off too. Gumo left the last, and once more he looked back at the flickering campfire before he parted the vines and entered his room.

It was only her and Rei left, sitting there. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, and he was looking down at the ground, looking determinedly at something there which she could not see. "Rei?" she spoke, voice timid and soft in the large, empty cavern – she was surprised, was that really her speaking? Her voice suddenly seemed so different. The boy did not respond to his name, so she tried again. This time, slowly, he looked up, and his golden eyes met hers, both curious and wary.

"Where did you go the whole week? Len and the others were searching for you all the time…they said you had something to settle. But it's not just _something_ , is it?" if it was something as small and unimportant as the others made it seem, then surely he would not be behaving in this manner now. The Rei she remembered was cool and aloof, but he was also strong and radiated authority in a way that was not too different from Len. This Rei was shaken by something, some bad memory or incident she did not share. His golden eyes narrowed, but he shook his head, sighing at her words.

"It was nothing very important, don't worry yourself," he said, voice flat. He sounded like she was used to, but she was so sure…so _certain_ that something must have happened to him. Call it her intuition, or some sixth sense, but there was no way anyone could look at Rei now, compare him to the cool logician of one week back, and think that nothing had changed. He didn't even want to participate in group meetings anymore, it seemed – and why did he keep looking at her funny?

"Well, if you say so," she figured if he wasn't going to tell her, knowing that something was wrong wouldn't change anything. She might as well leave him to his brooding and go get some sleep. No one could say she had not tried to be sympathetic to his situation – she had felt like she should, at least, try to be sympathetic, since the other boys treated him like they always did, and she felt that in the state he was now, that seemed to be almost callous. She rose from the log, but before she could enter her room he called her name, and she turned back, hopeful. Perhaps he would tell her something that the other boys didn't know. Then she would no longer be the _different_ one.

Rei looked haunted, she couldn't describe him in any other way. "You should learn to be careful," was all he said. "Not just outside in the forest, but in the den too. There are all sorts of danger lurking around, and sometimes they're right under your very nose…" a trace of his former aloofness, the poise he held despite being so withdrawn, returned, and he looked almost challenging. "I'd hate to see you get hurt by someone around here, be it intentional or not, so you have to learn to take care of yourself, all right? People won't always be around to save you. Now you should go to sleep, and continue training tomorrow when you're rested up," after this long string of advice, he rose, sauntering away. He did not return to his room, instead taking the same route that Len took.

She turned his words over and over in her mind. Was he warning her of plots against her, of traitors among them? She knew better than to just brush the warning away. Rei was, after all, the first one to warn her about Piko, the one who told her about the danger that lay underneath the innocent, boyish facade. Surely he was not lying again this time, but she could not decide who she was supposed to be in danger from. Maybe he was referring to Nero…she suspected she was still in hot water with Nero at the moment, but she didn't need a warning for that. She already knew he was unhappy with her.

Or maybe Rei just meant it as a general warning. If that was so…she shrugged it off and ducked inside the cave, making her way over to the bed. As she lay down on the mattress, she suddenly never felt more comfortable or sleepy – the soft mattress carried away all the sores and aches and pains that came after her forest adventure, and she was tempted to just give in and sink into a deep sleep. But she remembered that she wanted to question Len about her circumstances…

Maybe she would take just a short nap. A very, very short nap. She was so tired after all, and she felt she really needed the rest. She would hopefully wake up when Len returned, since she was a rather light sleeper, unless…unless Len never came back to his room at all. But that wasn't a possibility she was going to entertain at the moment.


	17. Chapter 17

"You were gone for pretty long. The sun's almost setting," Len turned around, surprised, seeing Miku standing by the entrance to the cave, clearly waiting for his return. He hadn't noticed her.

"Aren't you tired?" he knew he was. He wanted to yawn, but suppressed the urge, not wanting anyone to know just how drained he felt. How much sleep had he gotten the past week? He hadn't slept at all three days ago, and the day before he clocked in…maybe three hours? He was used to little sleep, but this was kind of a new record for him. It wasn't exactly a good record to have, either.

"And you're not?" she asked in return, still standing next to the cave entrance. He could barely see her – he could sort of make out her silhouette, the orange light outside providing the faintest sort of illumination. "I took a few naps while waiting for you to come back, so I'm not that tired anymore. What were you doing outside?" she changed the subject, sounding curious. He hesitated.

No, there was no harm in telling her. He hadn't been doing anything wrong. "Looking for that mystery person you were talking about," he admitted. "I can't just…believe that there's someone else in our forest, someone we have never once encountered yet is still alive and well. I want to know what manner of person she is, and what she wants. Maybe she's involved in all the recent troubles we have. I couldn't find her though, even with Rei's help, and he knows the forest as well as I do. Perhaps even better," he clenched his jaw, preventing a yawn from making its appearance.

"You went out looking for her?" Miku sounded surprised. "Why didn't you ask me to come? I was the only one who saw her – I bet I would have been of _some_ use," she sounded reproachful, but surely that was his imagination. There was nothing for her to be disappointed over.

"And are you sure you want to go back out into the forest so soon? You almost died," he answered rationally, and he could practically feel her shoulders droop in defeat. "You deserve the rest. Nero was pushing it too far, letting you just roam the forest alone when you barely know the place…I didn't make him navigate his way back to the den alone till a year after he was here. He's right though," he pursed his lips. "If we all get flushed out, you need to know how to find your way here."

Miku didn't answer for a while. He scratched the back of his neck, eyes watering from his tiredness. If he could just collapse down onto his mattress now, he would, but Miku still had not budged from the cave entrance and he guessed that she wasn't done with her questioning. He had the vaguest sense of where she was going, but wanted to see if his suspicions were true, if she really felt the way he assumed she did. He may be male, but it did not mean he was completely oblivious to helplessness.

"You know, I was just wondering," she finally said, "but does my gender have anything to do…with how you all treat me? I mean, it's not like any of the Lost Boys are terribly mean. Gumo is very, very nice," she stressed, "and Piko is…okay to talk to," she sounded a little uncomfortable. He couldn't blame her. "I haven't talked to Rei, so I don't know anything about him. The only person who seems to dislike me is Nero, and well, I'm not too fond of him either at this point, so it evens out. But it just _feels_ different," she groaned. "I don't know how to explain it, but I see how you all interact and I just know sometimes that if I were male, I wouldn't be treated the way I am now," she said in a rush.

It was his turn to be silent, and her words trailed off into nothingness shortly after her exclamation. He thought over what she said. It was true that she was treated differently, but what did she really expect? Girls and boys just couldn't interact in the same way. She was much weaker than them, and much younger than them too, though she didn't know that. They all knew that if they were as physical with her as they were with each other, she would break. Even Nero was careful not to touch her, though he did say he was tempted to choke her sometimes when she got on his nerves.

It was also difficult for them to admit this, but none of them – with the exception of him – had seen a _normal_ girl in decades, even centuries. The Red Indians were not normal, or at least not what the Lost Boys considered to be normal – all of them were raised during a period on Earth where girls were weak and had to be protected, where girls were homemakers and nurturers and didn't learn how to fight. Girls simply could not match up to men in terms of their physical strength, their aggression, and their desires. Normal girls, to the Lost Boys, were everything that the Red Indians were not.

The pirates…they were even further from normal than the Red Indians were. The pirates were bisexual, they had multiple families, they had open affairs; there was no marriage or faithfulness within them. They were wild and free, the women with their long, messy hair and gleaming eyes and gold teeth and sharp cutlasses. Some of them, like their captain, had hooks for hands, the others had wooden legs after accidents occurred in their crocodile-infested waters. No, the Lost Boys were simply unused to their ways.

Miku was the first _normal_ girl they had seen in a while. She would try to be aggressive, she tried to stand up to the boys but the fact remained that for all her knowledge and her modernity, she simply couldn't counter them. She fit their stereotypes of what a girl was. And the boys could barely recall what it was like to interact with girls. Most of them were raised under…certain circumstances that meant they especially lacked experience with the opposite sex, at least conversation-wise. Most of them, with the exception of Piko, had also ceased physical relationships with females in Neverland, since these girls just didn't _fit_ their standard idea of what a girl was. Miku…she did.

After such a long period of abstinence, seeing a normal girl provoked anxious responses from the Boys, but he didn't know how to explain all this to Miku nor did he particularly want to try. Both Miku and the Boys were facing a culture shock at the moment, and he was uncomfortably stuck between them. "Give it some time," he finally said, lamely summarising his thoughts. "They, ah…have their reasons. I know you feel like they treat you differently, and I would be outright lying if I said they didn't, but it's not anything about your person, really, and it's not your fault." After all, the Lost Boys were the ones who asked for a female companion. They could deal with their issues themselves.

"If it's not my fault, then what? Is it theirs? What's the problem then?" she didn't seem willing to let the matter go just like that. He felt a brief spike of annoyance, because he was exhausted and all he wanted to do was get a little rest before continuing with what he had to do, but this…this _girl_ was here, demanding answers and basically preventing him from getting his much-needed sleep.

"It's not really anything," he answered curtly. "I mean…it's really nothing important. Don't worry yourself over it. Everything will be fine after this crisis, when everyone's emotions aren't on such thin ice. You have to understand that we haven't experienced change in quite a while, so to have so much change thrust upon us at one go is disturbing. Give the others time, that's really all they need, and continue with your training," he concluded with a ring of finality. She did not say anything but it seemed as if she wanted to protest. He didn't know how he would snap if she pushed on.

In the end, she decided against saying anything else and left the cave. He let out a sigh of relief, glad that he could stop thinking of ways to field her questions. Because, ultimately the answer was that all of them – him being an exception of course, and Gumo perhaps another because of his youth – were aware of just how _female_ Miku was, and that led to a few complications. It wasn't all sexual, though for Piko it was. Rei just…wanted to eat her, which was clearly complicated enough by itself without having to bring in gender dynamics. He didn't know what Nero's problem was.

Maybe he should ask Nero, just to put Miku's mind at ease. He was aware she was most upset about Nero, given that all her outbursts – if those little episodes _could_ be considered outbursts – were always about him. He would ask Nero if there was any particular reason why he seemed to be treating Miku, in her opinion, so terribly, and tweak his answer if it contained anything Miku would be uncomfortable hearing. That should be enough to reassure her. He was fairly sure that Nero was only acting up as a result of stress, but he would just ask since he didn't want to make any assumptions.

He made his way to his mattress, and was surprised when he stumbled a little on the way. He rarely lost his balance. Was he really that tired? He felt a little dizzy, and his head was starting to hurt. Yes, he definitely needed to rest. Once he lay down and his eyes closed, he fell almost immediately into dreams.

* * *

" _Why did you save her?"_ the whispers came from all around her, and she smiled to herself, keeping her head bowed. Her fingers were curled loosely around the wooden staff as the shadows whirled around her, chilling in their agitation. _"Why, why, why?"_ they fretted. _"Why all the bother, all the fuss?"_

"I saved her because I felt like saving her, simple as that. No particular reason why," she answered jovially. One shadow came too close for her liking, its numbing touch flitting across her skin. She shooed it away, and it fled, hissing spitefully. "It would be nice if all of us could carry out some acts of kindness."

" _You are not kind!"_ the shadows spat, and rightfully so. She was not kind – but then, anyone who looked at her would never think she was anything but good-hearted, this girl who looked barely out of girlhood. She grinned at that. _"Why did you save her? You do not do things without an agenda!"_

"Relax," she waved her staff casually at them, and the shadows recoiled from the wood, wary and waiting. "I'm just watching and waiting to see what happens. I'm sure she's important. She was here the other time, wasn't she, and we all felt that there was something…strange about her. We cannot just take her, but we don't exactly know the reason why. So why not I save her so we can see what's the reason? Then, the next time Kagamine Len brings a child we find strange, we no longer have to just let go without knowing what the problem is," she explained her plan, smiling like a child who just received a bowl of candy. She could practically feel the shadows thinking over her words.

" _You speak sense,"_ the shadows finally admitted grudgingly. _"We understand now. But it would only explain why you did not kill her yourself. Why bother to interfere with the will-o'-the-wisps?"_ at which she simply laughed, because they still didn't understand. Her plan seemed so simple to her. Perhaps it was so simple that their complicated minds couldn't comprehend its effectiveness. They had minds which reached far and wide into every nook and cranny of Neverland. They could not understand simplicity, they could not understand anything that was comprehensible.

"Think about it. She's by far the strangest, isn't she? And she's a _girl_. She's the first girl they have, and they surely are unused to her. They might be less careful now – they want to protect her. If we let her go, if we interfere with the will-o'-the-wisps, then she lives longer for us to study her, and we _can_ since she's young and curious, but not so young they can fully control her. She's _perfect_!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Besides, imagine if we find a way to harness all that strange energy for our own use! Do you really want to give up such a treasure to the will-o'-the-wisps?"

The shadows swirled and murmured with unease. _"Your plan…it is dangerous. She knows of your existence now, surely Pan and the others know too. They know another human walks the forests,"_ one of the voices stated. _"What if they discover who you are, what you are? It would cause utter chaos in Neverland, and that isn't something we can afford to have_ ," the voice challenged her.

She shook her head. "And do you really think they have enough leads to discover me?" she asked slowly, unable to believe that they weren't catching on as quickly as she hoped. "All she knows is that I have a cloak, a staff and that I am a girl. She does not know my name, who I am, what I look like, where I'm even _from_. I might be a Red Indian, I might be a pirate. And what she knows, what the Boys would know. What does she know? Absolutely nothing!" she giggled. "For all they know, I'm a mermaid who can survive outside of water! The possibilities are endless, aren't they?"

The shadows murmured again, discussing among themselves. She sighed, bored, and her breath was visible. The dark cave was icy cold, but she was comfortable in the cold. She was born here, after all – this numbing cold was her domain. However, her human form meant a few limitations, such as the loss of her night vision, and now she could barely see anything in the dark. It didn't help that the shadows were swirling around her, masking her vision – it was like looking out on a foggy night.

Tired of squinting, she held her free hand close to her and muttered a spell. Then, she flung her hand out, and from her open palm spread forth a dazzling ray of light. The shadows, unhappy with this invasion of their domain but used to it nevertheless, separated before the bright beam, and she sighed happily for now she could see. It was tiring, being so blind. The light illuminated the cave around her in all its morbid glory – the skulls, the bones, the mortal remains of all those who had passed into this cave and never came back out. There were both human and animal bones here, and she hummed softly to herself as she nudged one particular big, pointed skull with her foot. Its hollow eye sockets were staring right up at her, its teeth bared into a grin, almost like it was smiling at her.

" _Then what? What will you do after finding out her secrets?"_ the shadows finally asked, voices combining to form one chilling harmony. _"Will you take her here? Will you absorb her for yourself? Or will you move on to target the other boys?"_ they were curious about her intentions, and she could not fault them for that. They were, unlike her, trapped and confined to this cave. They could see out of it, but they could never leave physically, unlike her, who was free to traipse in and out as she pleased. She sighed once more – the pleasures of having a physical body were boundless.

"Hmm, I don't know, I haven't thought that far yet," she answered playfully, clenching her fingers into a fist so that the light would stop pouring forth from her. The shadows sighed in relief as the cave was plunged back into cool, blissful darkness. "Maybe I'll bring her back for you all. Or maybe I will stay on to observe the Boys themselves. They are all so strong, so powerful, so vibrant and youthful despite their long, long ages. Surely _something_ must come out of such strength," she told them, voice full of confidence. "Perhaps one day, we will be able to snatch away Pan himself!"

" _Pan…Pan is a dangerous one. He is old. He is sly, and has outwitted us before. He has lived many, many years, and is older than even some of us are. It will be difficult_ ," the shadows responded, failing to share her enthusiasm. She scowled. Had she really been once as dreary and mopey as they were? She couldn't remember, and didn't want to know either. She couldn't imagine herself being total downers like them, always dampening the festive mood. No wonder they had no friends.

She faked a voice of meekness. "Oh my, I'm terrified! What ever shall we do if the big, bad Pan comes our way, deciding to get rid of us once and for all?" she whimpered. Then abruptly, she switched back to her usual carefree and recklessly bold manner. "Don't forget that we can trigger his special _gift_ as and when we want to!" she reminded them. "He is nothing without us. He begged us to take away his little gift of foretelling. Foolish boy, to give away the power of the truth – but what do I know of a human's desires?" she shrugged. A small little voice in the back of her head told her that actually, she knew _plenty_ about human desire, but she pushed the niggling thought away. "And don't forget," a slow grin slid over her face, "I am just as old as he is, and I know him well. I know just how to confront him, so don't worry your dreary little minds about that. I've got it all covered."

" _Well…if you insist, then we cannot do anything other than let you have your way,"_ the hissing voices, for once, sounded helpless, and she giggled again, happy that she got what she wanted. She shut her eyes, murmuring an incantation similar to the earlier one, and this time her entire being flooded with radiance, light shining out of every pore. Some shadows screamed, the ones failing to get out of the way in time dissolving into nothingness, but the majority of them clustered in the corners of the cave in time, grumbling about her lack of manners. She ignored the naysayers.

"Don't you worry your little minds," she repeated. "Have I ever failed before? No, I haven't," she answered her own question before any of them could get a word in. "Look at my powers! The boys don't know what they're up against, and they will all crumble like sand before my might. I was born with the sacrifice of hundreds of souls, and they all reside within me, feeding my strength. They will be nothing compared to me," her eyes gleamed, and she thumped her staff against the cave floor.

" _That is what you say, but we advise you against being arrogant, for the one before you was arrogant and failed even before he started_ ," the shadows cautioned. Oh, she knew that tale. She knew who the unfortunate fellow was, and she had heard why and what mistakes her predecessor committed which led to his failure. The grin on her face turned sly, one might even call it sinister.

"And don't forget I have a very special connection to Kagamine Len," she answered. "I know exactly what I'm doing, I know his weaknesses and I know the faults of my predecessor," she laughed this time. It was not a giggle, but a laugh full of promise. The shadows swirled. "This time, I shall not fail."

* * *

"Gumo, Gumo!" someone was shaking him, and it was most unpleasant. He groaned, trying to ignore the person, but whoever they were, they were persistent. "Gumo!" the person raised their voice, trying to rouse him from his nap. He groaned again, feeling somewhat frustrated.

"What is it?" he slurred, barely able to crack open his eyes. "This better be urgent, I feel like I've barely gotten any sleep at all," he continued, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a stinging pain on his right cheek, and instantly shot up from his bed, yelling out when he hit his head against the low ceiling. His room had the lowest ceiling, and for some stupid reason he also had the highest bed, so if he wasn't careful when he woke up, groggy and disoriented, he could easily knock himself back into unconsciousness. "I'm awake, I'm awake," he moaned, rubbing his cheek.

"Miku's gone from her room," the person who invaded his personal space said tersely. He was starting to think it was Piko, because Nero wouldn't have bothered to shake him awake – Nero would have just hit him till he woke up. And Rei was never, _never_ awake before Gumo. It was simply unheard of. Rei slept the most out of all of them. "I went to look for her just moments ago because I had this brilliant idea and she's the only one out of all of you who can listen to me talk about woodwork without falling asleep. I looked inside Len's room, and voila! She's missing."

Gumo was immediately awake when he heard this. "Uh…did you ask Len where she went?" he suggested lamely, unable to resist a yawn. He wondered if it was evening yet. He really didn't feel like he had slept much. "I mean I'm…concerned too, but uh…Len must have a better idea of where she is than I do?" he leant his head against the rock wall. He understood that he was supposed to be worried because Miku was weak and frail and she had a bad shock last night, and oh, she didn't know her way around the forest, which was a minor detail he had forgotten for a moment. But the panic which was so obvious in Piko's face was not hitting him. Grogginess was a barrier to reality.

"Len's out cold. And you know how hard he's been working the past few days. I think if I woke him up just because she's gone he might die of exhaustion. Besides, if it's just a matter of looking for her I could do that myself," Piko shook him some more, and Gumo grunted, flinching away from him. "But I need someone to search with me, and obviously you're the only one who can do that."

"What about Rei and Nero?" Gumo complained. He was a whiny brat the few minutes after waking up, and some part of his more awake mind was conscious of his bad behaviour, but he really didn't want to get off his bed right now. Even in his half-awake state, however, he registered the look of derision Piko sent him at his suggestion, and knew why he garnered such a reaction. Rei and Miku together was a bad idea at the moment, and Nero…well, Nero and Miku might be an even more explosive combination. Piko was right, Gumo really was the only person who could help him look.

"Fine," Gumo groaned, swinging himself off the bed and running his hand through his thick, unruly bedhead. "Miku better explain why she's missing at this time of the day, I'm not done with my rest," he muttered to himself, following Piko out of the room. It was sunset, and the evening sky was shot through with pinks and oranges, the furthest horizon a dark shade of blue. The stars were starting to come out. Twilight was a pretty time, Gumo mused somewhat incoherently. He quite liked it.

"Do you think she's in the caves? Or out in the forest?" Piko asked, still waiting for Gumo at the other side of the cavern. Gumo had stopped at the campfire site – the flames were long reduced to mere ashes – and was now gawking openly up at the evening sky. "Gumo, we don't have time for this," he sighed, pressing two fingers against his forehead. Piko was the placid one in the group who never lost his temper, but he did get frustrated sometimes, and now was one of those times.

"Uh…I don't know which option would be worse," Gumo offered _most helpfully_ , deigning to look down from the sky. She could be out in the forests, looking for that mystery woman she was going on about after her physical training. Or she could be wandering around completely lost in the cavern network. Both were bad. In the forest, she really might die this time. In the caverns…if she had managed to get herself well and truly lost down here, then she could wander around until she drove herself mad from seeing nothing but shadows and rock. "We could just check the training room first," Gumo now suggested, the brightest idea he had come up with so far. "Did you go and see?"

"I did, but she wasn't there. I went to look for her where Nero keeps the weaponry, but she wasn't there either. I don't know where the hell she's gone," Piko sighed. "She doesn't know any other place around here either, does she?" he mused to himself. Gumo shook his head, and the two boys exchanged a look, both thinking hard. "Could she possibly be with either Nero or Rei? Despite the circumstances?" he asked. It seemed unlikely, but they didn't really have any other leads.

Gumo frowned. "I really doubt she's with Nero. I mean, she _might_ be, but I don't know, it doesn't seem like they get along well enough for her to request for extra training sessions," Gumo scratched his head. "Maybe Rei?" he asked half-heartedly. "At most we can wake him up and make him sniff her out or something. He has the strongest sense of smell out of all of us, after all. If anyone could pick up a trail, it would be him. She's probably lost somewhere if she isn't in any of the areas you already checked. I'm sure Rei would give up his cannibal concerns just this once," well, he hoped so.

Piko agreed, so they went to look for the dark boy. Piko was rambling about his bright new idea – an idea for a wooden weapon or something – and Gumo was on the verge of dozing off. When Piko got excited about crafting he used a lot of technical jargon and Gumo didn't understand anything at all. "Did Rei even come back to his room?" Gumo cut across Piko as the silver haired boy went off on another tangent – something about puppets… "If he's not there then we're going to need another option. I don't know, I'm not feeling very worried for some reason. I should really be panicking, shouldn't I?" Gumo felt a little bad. But he felt really muffled from reality. Probably because he still wasn't fully awake yet. He was pretty okay if he woke up of his own accord, but when he was dragged up from his sleep, he took a while to function properly. Piko frowned at him.

"Yes, you should. She might _die_ ," he emphasised. The phrase still wasn't sinking in. Death wasn't a concern any of them had, since they were all pretty much immortal. Miku wasn't immortal yet – at least, Gumo didn't think she was, because she hadn't been on Neverland long enough, and she had yet to adapt to this different world. But once she did, once her body got used to the environment, the curse of Neverland would really weave its way through her physique and she would stop aging, like they did. Well, not really stop completely – but they aged at an immeasurably slow rate.

"What is death?" the words came out of his mouth in a stupid, sleep-deprived stupor, and Piko rolled his eyes, unable to believe what he was dealing with. He ignored Gumo and stepped inside Rei's room after shaking the vines vigorously five times, their version of a knock. The room was empty, which was a bad sign. Gumo, who came in right after he did, made straight for the bed, and Piko's first thought was that the green haired boy would collapse upon Rei's bed and fall asleep right there. To his surprise, all Gumo did was pat the mattress, looking as though he was thinking hard.

"It's still warm, so he was here recently!" Gumo finally concluded. Piko went over to touch the mattress himself, feeling a little strange for doing so because this seemed like extremely stalker-like behaviour, but had to agree with the younger boy. The bed had just been slept on recently. "Do you think…" Gumo looked with wide green eyes at Piko, "do you think that maybe Miku and Rei went off together somewhere? It can't be such a coincidence. Miku and Rei both disappearing at the same time? Rei must have seen her leave, or maybe she followed him. Either way, I bet they're together right now. So can I go back to sleep now? Surely Miku's fine," Gumo waved his hand carelessly.

"Your idea makes sense, but Rei is the one who wants to eat her," Piko said placidly. Gumo's eyes, which were already half-closed, suddenly snapped open wide in realisation, his mouth falling open to form an 'oh'. "Yes, 'oh' indeed," Piko remarked sarcastically. "Even if she's with Rei we need to make sure that he doesn't lose control and pounce on her. It would be terrible, I'd lose the only person who's willing to listen to me talk about my inventions, and you'll miss the only person who's younger than you in this den," Piko pointed out something which was a bit of a sore point for Gumo.

"Let's go find her now!" Gumo panicked, grabbing Piko's arm and rushing off. Piko sighed. The thought of Miku dying hadn't woken Gumo up, it was the thought of being the little kid of the place once more. It really did show something about the boy's priorities, didn't it? But maybe that was just being unfair to the kid. Everyone knew what Gumo was like when he woke up – which wasn't a good excuse for everything he did, actually. "Where do you think they went?" he was still panicking. Gumo had torn down the main passage like a man possessed, and Piko was struggling to keep up.

"I don't know, you tell me," he snorted. "You're the one with the predatory instincts. I just…stay in the den and work my nature magic," he stared at the portal which would bring them up to the surface. "We know where Rei's favourite spot is. Maybe we can go take a look there first," he finally suggested. Gumo nodded, calming down a little now that there was a more solid plan, and they both stepped out into the portal. Piko irritably shook his arm free of Gumo's grip, which had been so tight that it was cutting off his blood circulation. His arm tingled as circulation there resumed once more.

"Oh, I do hope she's all right, she's fun to talk to," Gumo fretted. Piko just watched him worry, secretly wishing that his personal reason for wanting Miku to be safe could be as innocent as his.


	18. Chapter 18

Neither of them were saying anything – nor did she know what to say, even if she wanted to speak. He continued looking away into the forest beyond. Could he even see anything in the twilight?

Tired, she slumped against the tree trunk, head tilted upwards so she could continue watching the boy. He still did not acknowledge her presence, though he knew she was there. Maybe he was thinking of what to say, or maybe he didn't intend to speak to her at all. Who knew? She was certainly unable to tell what he was thinking. His expression was as unreadable as it always was.

The silence, though tense at first, had softened to become something almost comfortable. It most likely had something to do with them both pretending the other person didn't exist. It wasn't like she could do anything else, anyway – she was stuck here until he decided to return to the den. Miku honestly was not feeling up to the challenge of trekking through the forest alone again, not so soon after her ordeal last night. She squatted down on the forest floor, not wanting to get her pants dirty – she was uncomfortable with the idea of changing in the den, though Len had given her spare clothes in case she ever required them. As of now though, she had not felt the need to change.

In Neverland, she never really felt…dirty. Sure, she went through hunger and tiredness and mood swings and sheer exhaustion, just like back at home. But on the other hand, she felt no urge to bathe, and her desire to relieve herself, though present the first few days, had dwindled greatly, and now going to the toilet seemed to be a thing of the past. Whatever she ate and drank just never seemed to make a reappearance, which was strange. Len told her it had something to do with the different, corrupted eddies of time Neverland possessed – time flow here just wasn't the same as back on Earth, but she didn't understand what he was talking about. He said she would take years to understand, they all did, so she should just stop worrying about it and accept everything as it was.

"You know, following me out here was pretty stupid," suddenly, the black haired boy spoke. She looked up at him – he was staring into the distance across the forest, but she was aware that he was speaking to her. She shifted uncomfortably as he continued, wondering if she ought to think up of a reply or just ignore him, like how they had been ignoring each other the past couple of minutes. "I won't return to the den any time soon. If you get hungry or thirsty, don't expect me to hunt for you or show you the way to the nearest water source either. I'm not going to come down from here."

"I didn't expect you to," she retorted, and he didn't reply. The silence lay thick between them once again, this time almost suffocating. She fidgeted some more, tugging awkwardly on her long hair as she wondered what she ought to do now – should she just wait here for him till he was ready to go back? She could always go exploring on her own, but the fear of running into the will-o'-the-wisps again prevented her from setting off into the forest. Last night would probably scar her for a long, long time. She would never be able to look at a deer again, not without those memories surfacing.

She thought back to how she ended up in this situation, stuck with Kagene Rei, who was sitting far above her on a sturdy tree branch. From what Gumo told her, Rei had a thing for sitting high up where people couldn't reach him. He liked to be left alone, a true loner among the Lost Boys. In fact, she was pretty lucky to see him – she only noticed him sneaking him out of the den because she walked out of her room at such a strange timing, when most of the other Lost Boys were still asleep. She remembered leaving her room, and seeing someone slip down the opposite passage just as she came into the main cavern. Curious, she thought about following, just to see who the person was.

After making up her mind about tailing the person, she rushed out to the passageway. At the very end, she saw the black haired boy – so it was probably Rei – turning down the passageway, towards the entrance of the den. He was probably going out into the forest. Quickly, but as silently as possible, she went down the passage, nervously following him. She wanted to know what he was up to, why he was always outside of the den, what he did when he was alone in the forest. She wanted to know what he had been up to the past week, and figured that maybe now, she would find out.

Of course, Rei caught her not long after she started tailing him. She turned down one corner after him, and almost ran right into the dark boy, who was waiting patiently for her to show up, his arms folded across his chest. He said not a single word, though he could probably read the guilt-stricken expression on her face, and simply continued on his way. She took his silence to mean that she was free to follow him if she wanted, so she did exactly that, doing her best to keep up with the boy.

Rei did not speak to her at all while they were heading out into the forest, though he did slow down a little sometimes when she was starting to lag behind him. The trek through the dark forest was frightening, but she didn't feel quite so bad about it given that one of the Lost Boys was with her. They walked and walked, sometimes straying off the beaten path right into the undergrowth, and sometimes they would disturb slumbering wildlife – she would hear the crackle of footsteps and flinch, the sound reminding her of the headless deer last night. Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened again, and they met with no mishaps on the way to his destination.

However, due to the roundabout way Rei had taken through the forest, she wasn't too sure how to find her way back to the den herself. She was somewhat regretting her decision to follow the boy now – she had simply followed her impulses and went off after him since her curiosity demanded an answer for his strange behaviour. Besides, she wanted to ask him about his second strange warning – the one where he told her to be careful of being backstabbed by one of them, or at least that was how she interpreted his words. Yet now she was alone with him, she could not find any words to say.

He was the one who broke the silence between them again. "So, why did you follow me?" he sounded remarkably conversational, as though he was merely asking about the weather. This was the closest she had ever heard him sound to being relaxed. Did it have something to do with how high up he was above the ground? Maybe heights calmed him somewhat. "There has to be a good reason, right? If I were you and I went through the same thing you did last night, the last thing I would want to do now is step into the forest," he sounded calm and expectant. She exhaled.

Where should she begin? She was already here – no point dancing nervously around the topic. She might as well dive straight into why she wanted to follow him. "I wanted to see what you were up to in the forest, the past week," she answered, peeking up into the tree overhead to gauge his reaction. He was still looking away from her, so she didn't know if he responded in any way to her words. "So I decided to follow you…but it's not like you were doing anything strange out here, either. Maybe it's because I'm here, so you aren't doing your…usual thing," she shrugged. There was still no reaction to her words. "I really do want to know though. It almost seemed like you were avoiding me, but surely you weren't, right?" at this question, he turned to look at her, amber eyes narrowing.

"I have my reasons," he said, four simple words that made her frown for they seemed so out of context – was he acknowledging that he actually was avoiding her? He said nothing else about this matter. "It's not just that, is it?" he probed when she remained silent, still thinking about his response to her words. Why would someone like Rei avoid her? She had not done anything to offend him, at least not that she knew of, and he most certainly wasn't frightened of her – none of the Lost Boys had any reason to fear her, when there was nothing much she could do to hurt them. Maybe stab them in their sleep, but then that didn't explain why Rei was the only one avoiding her.

"Oh, oh yes…" she jerked up, his prompt dragging her back to reality. "You know, that warning you gave me? What do you mean? I've been thinking about it over and over again, and it doesn't really…I don't know who could possibly have any ill intent towards me in the den. Other than Nero. But you're not talking about Nero, are you?" she sounded like she was rambling now. She winced, but Rei simply laughed to himself, looking away from her once more. She assumed he was laughing at her, and did not appreciate that much given that _he_ was the one who gave her that cryptic message to begin with. "Could you explain yourself, please?" she tried to be polite. "I really appreciate that tip about Piko, I know he's a little…deprived, but there isn't anyone who seems like, well, a bad person."

She meant what she said. Even Nero, with all his brusqueness and his harsh manner of speaking, didn't seem to want her hurt. He probably could have found some way to kill her and make it look like an accident, given all the time they spent doing dangerous things together. The training – he could always stab her in the neck and claim she did it herself by accident. Or while in the forest, carrying out physical training – he could have drowned her in the river and claimed she fell in herself, and didn't realise until it was too late to save her. He could have done all that if he really wanted to, but she was still alive. They might argue and he might infuriate her – they might not even like each other all that much, but at the very least, he never made an attempt on her life before.

Rei suddenly fell silent. He looked down at her again, meeting her gaze, but said nothing – she got the sense that he was judging her, measuring her worth. Rei was a very… _impenetrable_ kind of person, in the sense that she couldn't really tell what he was thinking, or what kind of person he was. Len was the obvious leader, Piko was the craftsman with an annoying desire for physical pleasure; Nero was the tough, brusque fighter and strategist, while Gumo was the cheerful peacekeeper who ensured that the mood never got too low. What was Rei? What was his role? From what she saw so far, he was simply the brooder, always hiding away somewhere and giving the Lost Boys endless trouble. But that couldn't possibly be who he really was, or else Len would have done something about him. No, what was Rei? What was the part of him which she could not see?

"None of the Lost Boys want to hurt you," he shook his head as he spoke, gaze flitting from side to side but never quite meeting hers. "None of us would want to do that. You're someone Len found and brought here – you're one of us now, and we never hurt our own," he paused. "But not having the intention to do something does not always mean we won't do it," his voice became a little quieter, as though he had difficulty saying the words aloud. "I'm not telling you to look out for anyone in particular – I'm just suggesting that maybe, you should be more careful, because some of us might do things that we didn't mean to do and you would get hurt as a result of our actions."

Maybe it was the way he refused to look her straight in the eye, or maybe it was just how he spoke about a mismatch between intention and action that made everything fall into place. It made sense now, why he was never around the den when she was – but she hoped it was nothing but mere suspicion on her part. "You're not…talking about yourself, are you?" she asked hesitantly. He did not say anything, and as the silence between them stretched on, she felt her heart sink, taking his sudden silence as an admission of guilt. "Why? What is it about me that makes you think you might hurt me? I know I'm weak compared to you all – but I can improve," she tried to defend herself, and possibly his honour as well. "There will be a time where I can easily match up to you, so maybe you should stop being so concerned because it's kind of upsetting, knowing you're avoiding me…"

"That's just what you think!" he suddenly shouted, startling her. She had never heard Rei raise his voice before, let alone shout at someone. "It's nothing to do with your physical strength, Miku! It's not about comparing you to us. It's about me, it's my problem to deal with. I don't want to put myself into a situation where you might die and I might get expelled from the den. Do you think I want to avoid you, and avoid my room?" he continued, anger in his voice – she remained quiet, unused to this outburst from him but allowing him to continue because she was curious about what he would say. "It's because – I don't know – it's your fault and it's not! I could show you," suddenly, his voice changed, and he sounded feverish. He leapt down gracefully from the tree branch, landing right in front of her, and she resisted the urge to step back from him. His eyes were gleaming with excitement. "I could show you – yes, show you, exactly how dangerous I am. Why you should worry about me. Then maybe you would stop being concerned about me too," the more he spoke, the higher his voice became, and he looked like he was on the verge of passing out. She was not sure what to do, and thought maybe he was starting to hyperventilate. Should she slap him out of this?

Before she had to respond, before Rei could do anything other than just stare at her in almost bestial excitement, she heard two familiar voices shouting her name. Rei's head instantly whipped around to face the newcomers, teeth bared into a snarl, and she looked around as well, carefully because she feared Rei might pounce on her while she was looking away. Piko and Gumo had broken out from the undergrowth, and were standing nearby, both of them looking between her and Rei. There was something that could only be described as concern on Piko's face, whereas Gumo looked outright scared. That was all the confirmation she needed to know Rei was behaving rather strangely.

"Miku, listen to me. Step away from Rei right now," Piko's voice was low and soothing, but very firm. She did as he said, edging away from the dark haired boy, whose breathing was rapid, his chest heaving as he watched all of them surrounding him. Now that she looked properly at his face, she saw that his pupils, the two black specks in a sea of gold, had dilated so much that half of the gold was gone. She was pretty sure he was hyperventilating now, and wanted Piko and Gumo to focus more on Rei rather than her, but Piko's tone was enough to stop her from disobeying him.

The silver haired boy tilted his head towards Gumo, and instantly, Gumo launched himself at Rei, taking the dark boy down to the forest floor along with him. In the same moment, Piko grabbed her hand and started to run, and from behind her she heard the sounds of snarling and growling, and the occasional shriek – she was tempted to look back and see what was going on, but Piko was running so fast that it took all she had to focus on putting one foot before the other. She swore that some of the snarls and growls she heard were animal rather than human, but could not be sure that she was hearing things right – adrenaline was pumping through her system, and she could barely focus on the fight behind her. Before long, the cries and shouts faded, and Piko finally slowed down, breathing heavily. He let go of her hand, and she swayed, stumbling as she caught her balance. Her head was spinning as she struggled to take in oxygen. Piko patted her back, and she coughed, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. There was little sweat on her forehead despite them running so fast – the reason for that was something which, until now, she still failed to understand.

"What…happened?" she wheezed, finally regaining her voice. She was definitely going to become fleet of foot, given how much running she was doing lately. "What happened to Rei, why are he and Gumo fighting now?" she continued to press for answers. Piko grimaced – it was one of the rare times she did not see him with a jovial smile on his face, and that let her know that whatever the situation was, it was pretty bad. "Piko?" she asked again, fearing the worst when he did not reply.

He shook his head. "It's nothing new, we've dealt with it before. Just…maybe it's better to let Len know so he can handle this appropriately later. None of us have had a relapse in a while…" Piko sighed. He seemed to have recovered faster from their running than she did, which wasn't a surprise. "Now isn't the right time to explain to you what happened back there, we're out here in the forest and well, you're still new to Neverland. We'll see whether we want to talk about it later. Let's get back to the den first, all right?" though he phrased it like a question, his dual-coloured eyes, for once without any glimmer of humour, were deadly serious. She knew she could not disagree.

He started leading the way back, muttering to himself the entire time. It really was strange, since he usually never missed an opportunity to talk to her – or tease her – whenever they were alone, but it appeared that whatever happened just now with Gumo and Rei was enough to distract him from her. She caught faint whispers of what he said as they walked through the forest – she heard the words, "idiot", "dangerous" and "fighting" but without anything to link the words together, she failed to understand what the matter was. She should just stick close when Piko reported the situation to Len, and see how he described what happened just now.

"You could have died," Piko didn't sound like he was joking at all, which made her uncomfortable. She was not used to him being so serious, even when he was being animated about his latest ideas and philosophies. Even then, he knew when to be light-hearted and humorous. This Piko was serious and grave, and for once she could recognise him for who he was – the second oldest Lost Boy, the one who had almost as much experience as Rei did when it came to surviving in Neverland. "If Gumo and I didn't find you at that instant, we probably would have seen a guilt-stricken Rei coming back to the den with nothing but your dead body in his arms. Don't go so near Rei, honestly. It's dangerous."

"What's wrong with him?" she wanted to know. "Just before he…he became like that, he told me too, that he's dangerous and I should be more careful around him – but what's wrong with _him_? I really am the reason he avoided the den all week, aren't I?" she demanded. In front of her, Piko nodded, but he didn't explain why he was dangerous, much to her annoyance. "So?" she asked. "So what is wrong with him? I don't even know what he was getting ready to do. Was he going to attack me? Is that why you're so worried?" the questions were endless, and she hated not knowing.

"How could you fail to recognise the signs of hostility? Of course he was getting ready to attack you," Piko sounded remarkably like Nero for once, much to her discomfort. Then his tone softened slightly. "And yes, you're the reason why he stayed away from the den all week. I guess it's really time to let you know, though he's been desperate for you to be kept unaware…Len would not allow this to pass," he sighed audibly. "I'd love to tell you why, but you should get your answers from Rei himself. It'd be better for both of you then," and he said no more about this matter. She started thinking to herself, wondering what the reason was. He already said that it wasn't because of her physical weakness or a problem with her, it was about him. But what was his problem then?

There was one more thing she had to know. "Will Gumo be okay?" she asked, concerned. She would feel terrible if Gumo was hurt because of her. Even if Piko assured her that it was not her fault, even if Rei kept saying it was his personal issues rather than something to do with her, she would still feel like she caused everything until she knew the real reason for his sudden hostility. If Gumo was hurt because of what happened between her and Rei…no, she had to know that Gumo would be fine. The low, guttural sounds that came from behind her when she fled didn't sound very reassuring.

Piko laughed, suddenly sounding much more carefree than just now. "Oh, of course Gumo will be fine," he chuckled. "Where Rei has an abundance of speed, Gumo more than makes up for with power. In fact, he's the best person to handle Rei during such an episode. Nero would just piss Rei off even more…and me, well, I'd rather not be involved," Piko sounded shifty now. "But rest assured, Gumo and Rei both will be perfectly safe. Don't worry about either of them. Worry about me, I'm the one who will have to report to Len about this, and Len is the worst person to deal with upon waking up," he groaned. "Other than maybe Gumo, but I'd take a grouchy Gumo over a tired, snappy Len any day. You're lucky you haven't had to forcefully drag Len up from bed before – not a pretty sight, trust me," she could practically feel him rolling his eyes. She couldn't help smiling to herself.

He continued talking to her throughout the trek back to the den, but she was not distracted from the underlying worry that lay in Piko's upbeat words. She knew he was worried, but he seemed so sure that Rei and Gumo would be okay. Was he worried about her, then? Because she feared for herself, too. She would only know what she was fretting about, however, when they got back to the den.

* * *

Len was sound asleep, and it took quite a lot of cursing and swearing, and the combined efforts of her and Piko, to drag the blond haired leader up from the mattress. Even then, he refused to wake up entirely, slurring out a whole colourful range of swear words – she was sure she had never heard some of these expletives before – while those blue eyes half-opened, trying to figure out who were the people who dared to interrupt his precious resting time. Honestly, she would be upset too if she was Len. Everyone knew that Len hadn't been sleeping much the past couple of days.

"What do you want?" he groaned, batting their hands away and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. "I just managed to get to sleep, you know. If this is about Miku not wanting to train with Nero, _please_ ask her to talk to Nero herself about it, I'm not here to be a personal counsellor…" his words stung a little, because it made her feel like he saw her as an annoying brat, but Piko disregarded what Len said entirely. Miku knew that what was happening between Gumo and Rei was more important than her wounded pride, so for now she held her tongue, determined to get back at Len if she could.

"Rei and Gumo are fighting…you know, the usual," Piko glanced at her, as though trying to see if she understood what he was saying. She didn't. "They…it was pretty impulsive. So we need you to come and settle it, since you know I'm pretty much useless when they fight, and Nero probably wouldn't be the best person to calm them down right now," the more Piko spoke, the more alert Len seemed to become, and by the time he finished Len was looking perfectly awake, albeit rather frustrated.

"What are they fighting over?" Len seemed ready to get into a fight of his own. "What is _Gumo_ fighting about, he doesn't even have anything Rei would want. And vice-versa. If this is just about tensions running high, they're going to have their fingers broken. I don't have the time or energy to put up with their crap," he snarled, leaping to his feet. She stepped back to give him some space, hoping he wouldn't suddenly turn his anger upon her. She knew what angry people were like. They had a tendency to turn their anger upon the nearest available victim, even if the new target had done absolutely nothing wrong. She was not going to take the position of Len's latest stress ball.

"Rei and Miku were together, and Rei reacted badly," Piko said blandly. At this, Len's grouchiness seemed to subside a little, and he shot her a questioning look. However, he said nothing to her, instead leaving the room and heading out to the main cave. Piko and Miku followed him – Piko probably because he wanted to see what Len would do to salvage the situation, and Miku because she had nothing else to do at the moment, and also because she wanted to figure out for herself what was going on. Len stopped by Nero's room, and Miku eyed the room entrance nervously. The grinning skull stuck on top of the pole greeted her, the hollow eye sockets reminding her of the headless deer last night. Why did Nero have to choose something so terrible to decorate his room?

"Nero! Come out," Len called from the outside, not bothering to enter the room. After a few seconds, the vines rustled and then Nero stuck his head out, one eyebrow raised. He saw Len, Piko and Miku all standing outside waiting for him, and surprise flitted across his face.

"What's the big occasion, did I forget it was someone's birthday or something?" he asked, his gaze lingering on her. She fidgeted, uncomfortable with being watched by him – they were still not really talking to each other right now. Perhaps it was just her being paranoid, but she felt like if given the chance, Nero would leap on her and strangle her or otherwise make her suffer for her dissing him in public. One thing she was certain about, when it came to Nero, was that he was proud, aggressive and haughty, and wounding his pride was almost worse than physically hurting him.

"No," Len's voice was flat. "Gumo and Rei are… _fighting_ ," the way Len emphasised the word made it clear that whatever the two of them were doing, it wasn't any normal tussle. Nero's violet eyes widened in surprise, mirroring Len's own shock – probably none of the Lost Boys could imagine Gumo fighting with another one of their own, and truth be told, she couldn't imagine the peace-loving, friendly boy she knew to take part in any kind of fight either. Gumo probably wouldn't be able to hold off Rei for long, despite what Piko told her – Gumo was so nice, so kind. How could he possibly last against Rei, who – from what she knew – was hardened and experienced with hunting and the wilderness? They should get moving so they could separate the two Lost Boys. Instead, much to her frustration, Len seemed to be taking the matter surprisingly lightly. Nero and Piko didn't appear to be too concerned either about the safety of Gumo or Rei, which irritated her as well.

"Yes, they are, so shouldn't we be setting off to stop them?" she had to voice her opinion before she exploded. The three boys all turned to look at her, a whole range of expressions on their faces – Piko looked amused, Len rather surprised, and Nero slightly condescending. "I mean, aren't you worried at all?" she was feeling a little jumpy. She wanted to get out of the den as soon as possible and see what the state of things was like right now. "They're not having some chat over tea or something – they're _fighting_! One of them could be badly hurt!" she exclaimed, hoping to jolt them into action.

Nero actually laughed, much to her chagrin. "Unbelievable. Who do you think we are? We don't get injured that easily, unlike you with your weak skin and lack of strength – besides, Gumo's a damn –" Len placed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off before he could continue. Nero scowled, but shut his mouth, looking away from her. _A damn…damn what?_ She was so close to getting something. The secrecy the Lost Boys all shared against her was starting to feel like some sort of conspiracy, and she was trapped right in the middle of it all. Miku was tempted to start screaming and shaking them for her answers, but that wouldn't get her anywhere, and Nero would probably just laugh at her again.

"She's right, we should be more worried," Len said evenly, a warning in his eyes as he looked at Nero. Piko shifted uncomfortably beside him. "Let's go now then. Miku…you stay here," he looked right at her, perfectly serious. She instinctively opened her mouth to protest – she wanted to go, she wanted to know what was happening, she was tired of being kept from everything like she was a mere baby, unable to look out at _all_ for herself. She might be weak, she might not understand this place or the logic and the laws of the land, but she wasn't stupid. Their hiding her away from everything was making her feel stupid and unwanted, more so than any insult Nero could throw her way. She was supposed to be one of them now, so why was she still hidden from so many of their activities?

"Miku, please," Len spoke before she could start on her tirade. He seemed almost pleading, and she saw properly the tiredness on his face, the dark circles that lay underneath his piercing blue eyes. When he first came to her in her room, that one week ago, when he first slipped inside her house and told her about the land from which he came, he was beautiful. There was nothing marring the utter perfection of his features, and his looks were most likely something which influenced people's wills, making them do whatever he wanted. His looks and his honeyed tongue were probably how he convinced children to come to Neverland with him. Now, though, the charm and beauty were gone – he was so tired and wearied. She never paid attention to exactly how exhausted he looked before, but now she realised that he looked like death. So she decided to take pity on him, and nodded.

His relief was palpable. "I don't want to keep so many secrets from you, really. I don't," lightly, he reached out, fingertips brushing against her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise at the gesture – he very rarely showed affection or concern. "None of us do. So when we settle all this and Rei and Gumo return, we'll explain to you what happened, okay? Rei will personally tell you what his problem is, and why he does his best to stay away from you. This, I swear," he said solemnly. She could not help but believe his earnestness, despite all her awareness of his smooth words and his persuasiveness and his charm. Again, she nodded, and he smiled. "We'll be back shortly. Just stay here and be good," now she felt like he was treating her like a child. He touched her cheek just once more, and her skin tingled – it felt like static, just not as sharp and painful – and then Len left.

Nero and Piko followed him, Piko shooting her an apologetic look while Nero simply ignored her, as usual. When they all left, she started considering her options. She could always just follow them, if she wanted to see what they were up to – but then she might get lost, or Len and company might notice her, in which case she would be in big trouble. She knew she agreed to stay here and not cause Len any further complication, but she was tempted to break her promise. She wanted to go aboveground – down here, she knew nothing; she was treated like an infant. Maybe she was an infant in Neverland, but she had the mind and body of a young woman and being cooped up here, unable to satiate her curiosity, was almost unbearable. What should she do? She started pacing the cave.

She looked up at the night sky, the moonlight shining right onto her. The stars seemed to twinkle at her reassuringly like old friends, despite her short stay in Neverland. She felt like she knew the night sky personally, somehow. The sparkling silver light seemed to encourage her to go out and find an answer for herself. She thought about it – she had come to Neverland to get away from the rigid life she had, to get away from the suspicion and the whispering and the neglect. She didn't want to continue being hidden away and neglected by the boys here – she was tired of being excluded. If she wanted to be excluded, she would have just stayed at home quietly, and continued being the lunatic that the entire suburb seem to think she was. They just didn't want to see or understand the truth of what she saw – they didn't want to acknowledge a world of shadows in their lives full of light.

Finally, she decided – she would be good, she would not follow the boys to where Rei and Gumo were, simply because she felt she would just get lost if she tried to follow them. But she didn't want to remain cooped up in the cave either. She was just going to take a stroll around the den entrance – the night air seemed cool and fresh, and the outside beckoned to her. Staying around the vicinity of the den should be perfectly safe – plus it would help pass some time for her till the others came back. If she could not have company, then she would instead spend time with nature and the forest. Being close to the trees and the night sky was by far a preferable alternative to pacing around the caves nervously, waiting for the boys to return, the same way a worried wife would think about her husband when he got sent away to war. She would not allow herself to overthink about them. Surely even Len would agree that getting some fresh air was better than staying stuck down here.

So she headed off down the same passageway the three boys took just earlier. As she walked down the now familiar pathway, her hands brushing against old stone, she told herself that she would not follow the boys, no matter how tempting it was to break her promise to Len. She did not want to end up in danger again. _Curiosity kills the cat_ , she thought insistently to herself. Yes, she would just linger around the den entrance until the boys came back. It wouldn't take too long, she hoped.

She was tired of waiting endlessly for her answers. If Len would not allow her to tag along with them and see first-hand what the problem was out of concern for her safety, then she hoped that he would at least have the decency to return quickly and tell her the truth as soon as possible.


	19. Chapter 19

Miku took in a deep breath of fresh air as she stepped out of the portal, glad that she was no longer in the suffocating den. It wasn't that the den was oppressive – the feeling of loneliness just suddenly became a little overwhelming, and if she didn't hurry out of the place she would have suffered.

The others were already long gone, not that she had wanted to follow them or anything. She hoped that Gumo and Rei were both all right – guilt gnawed away at her, because she couldn't help but think that she was the cause of the fight. If she had not followed Rei out into the forest…but then she hadn't known he would react that way to her either. Was that why the boys kept her out of their affairs, then? Maybe she had some strange effect on them, and she wasn't aware of it herself.

"Neverland is actually rather pretty," she mused, looking around at the forest, "it's just a pity that the place is so dangerous. If this was an island on Earth, it'll probably be turned into a tourist attraction," she stepped carefully into the long grass. She could hear the crickets and the sounds of wildlife around her, and they created a rather soothing harmony. If she closed her eyes, she could convince herself that she was back at home, leaning out of the window and feeling the cool night breeze against her face. But Neverland was dangerous because of how lulling it could be…

"Yes, Neverland would be a tourist trap, and in quite the literal sense too," she heard a vaguely familiar, high-pitched voice speak, and her eyes snapped open. Whipping around, she saw the owner of the voice – that mysterious hooded girl was standing a little distance away from her, though this time she wasn't carrying her staff. Miku stared at her, shocked, and the girl giggled. "You look like an owl, your eyes are so wide. You didn't hear me coming? Lucky for you that I'm not a predator, or else you might be dead by now," she observed. Miku narrowed her eyes, slightly annoyed.

In all honesty, she was tired of being told that she would have died if she had not done something, or was not rescued by the others. She was aware of her own helplessness, but constantly being reminded of how vulnerable she was out here didn't make her feel any better about herself. "I know, if you were a wolf sneaking up on me I would be dead by now," she snapped instinctively, then she realised who she was talking to and abruptly shut her mouth. This was the mysterious girl who had saved her from the will-o'-the-wisps, and she was the person Len was searching for. She had already proven herself to be rather powerful, so she knew it would be best not to offend her.

The girl giggled again. "My, you have quite the temper!" she remarked. "It's nice to see someone who responds so angrily to me, though I am under the impression that I said nothing wrong," she made a show of shrugging, and Miku fidgeted, uncomfortable with what she saw as a reprimand. "But I'm not here today to test your temper," suddenly, her playful attitude changed, and she became serious, more like the person who had saved her in the forest last night. "I just wanted to see whether you made it back to the den safely. It would have been terrible to realise that all the effort I expended on saving you came to nought. I'm glad you managed to find the Lost Boys."

"Who are you?" she asked, unbearably curious about this cloaked figure. The girl paused, folding her arms across her chest – she could see her long sleeves being shaken back, revealing just the very tips of her pale fingers. She had pale skin, easily as white as Miku's own – and Miku knew that she was considered to be extremely fair, largely due to all the time she spent indoors. This girl was so pale that she practically glowed in the darkness. "You can't be just any normal person – you chased away the will-o'-the-wisps, you wander around in the forest, none of the Lost Boys know who you are…"

"Is my identity really that important? I saved you, that's all that matters, isn't it?" the girl asked. "I mean, there's _plenty_ of things that don't make sense in Neverland. Len himself doesn't make sense. The Lost Boys all don't make sense. You see them keeping secrets from you, but did you know their very identities are secrets too?" she paused, letting that sink in. Then she continued. "You hear them talking all the time about how age makes a difference – how being older will generally mean you're better at fending off the will-o'-the-wisps. But why is age so important to them, when they all look like they're the same age? Did you ever stop to consider – maybe they _aren't_ in their twenties. Maybe they're much older than you think they are. And maybe they're keeping their age a secret for a good reason," she laughed. "Not like I would know, though. I'm not one of them. I only guess at their secrets, and suspect their intentions. But that's just something for you to think about."

She wanted to immediately retort that the boys couldn't be anything other than what they appeared to be, but the words died on her tongue because she knew that everything the girl said was true. This girl might be a stranger, and Miku may not know anything about her other than the fact that she was strong, and she had saved her out in the forest. But she raised valid points, and her words echoed her own doubts about the boys. She had not failed to notice how evasive they became whenever the topic of age was brought up. She thought maybe, for some reason, it was just a sensitive issue, and never bothered to really press too hard when there were other mysteries – but was there really more to all this?

"How do you even know all this?" she changed the topic. Listening to what the girl said felt bad, like she was hearing dirty little secrets she shouldn't know, at least not from a stranger like her. There was a vague sense that she shouldn't even be talking to her at all, though she was her saviour. There was something very suspicious about her, and it wasn't just the high-pitched laughter or the knowing words or the cloak, either. The very air around the girl seemed to hum with dark secrets.

"I have my sources of information," the girl answered coolly. "I've been wandering the forests of Neverland for quite some time already, and I get to hear things. They discuss their secrets out in the open, when they think no one is around, and as a wanderer I have found myself in situations where I can easily overhear everything they say. I don't know much more than you – secrets heard out of context never make sense, after all – but let's just say that I know enough to be certain that they are not who they claim to be. They are not just five human boys surviving in a hostile land, and that's probably something you could feel from the very first moment you spoke to them. Am I wrong?" Miku found herself thinking over the girl's words. The more she spoke, the more she felt those words resonating with something inside her – did they carry the ring of truth, or was it something else she was feeling? She brought up very valid points, but Miku still couldn't trust her completely.

"I know they're hiding things from me, they made it clear since the very first day I was here," she finally answered. The girl remained silent, waiting to hear her entire explanation, and she swallowed before she continued. Her throat was dry. "And I've been asking questions over and over again because I can't stand not knowing anything about them – their history, their intentions, what they discuss together when I'm not around. I can feel that they see me differently, and I always thought that it was because I'm not a boy, unlike them," the girl was undoubtedly curious. Even without seeing her face, Miku could feel her hanging on to every word she said. "But I never felt like they had the intention to hurt me. Sometimes I get paranoid that they grew to dislike me, and want to leave me to die in the forest so they would no longer be burdened by my person, but they've never done that. I'm trying to trust them and trust that they know what is best for me," she paused, "so thank you for your information, but I'd really rather not think too hard about what you just told me."

The girl remained silent, and as the silence stretched on, Miku grew more and more uneasy. It wasn't the comfortable silence she felt with Gumo or any of the other Lost Boys – the girl seemed almost hostile in her quietness. Suddenly, she let out a harsh laugh, something that sounded more like a screech than an indication of enjoyment. "You _trust_ them?" she questioned brusquely. It was startlingly different from her humorous, buoyant attitude just a while ago. "You trust these people who you barely know with your life? Did one of them not just attempt to attack you? Didn't that lead to a fight, and now the rest of them have to intervene to stop the two? You really _trust_ them?" she laughed again, a bitter sound. "I thought there was a limit to stupidity, but you have broken all possible boundaries. You seemed to be rather intelligent, from what I noticed. Perhaps I am wrong."

"You have no right to judge me!" Miku cried out, stopping the other girl in the middle of her tirade. " _You_ didn't grow up being neglected and unwanted. You didn't have to go through the pain of seeing a father die. You didn't have to go through the pain of losing everything you hold dear, even losing your very own identity because other people think you're worthless. I trust them because they're the only people who see me as a proper person! They might have their secrets, but at least they don't see me as a thing, as an object to be used. At least they're better than you in that way!"

Gone was the respect and awe she had for this girl who rescued her last night. She thought her mysterious saviour was wise and calm, powerful and benevolent – she certainly had seemed that way last night to her fear-stricken mind. But seeing her now, disbelieving and mocking, triggered bad memories for her, and she had to struggle to stay afloat amidst the harsh whispers of _useless_ and _unwanted_ and _problem child_ floating through her head. Why was this girl so desperately forcing her views upon her? She was not an _object_ through which she could announce her dislike of the Lost Boys. She was not a vessel for frustration and anger. She was a person with her own views and own opinions, and she was not going to start hating the boys just because some stranger suggested that she should. She swore she would never be so completely helpless again, and this time was no different.

"Foolish girl, you make all these assumptions without even knowing anything about who I am," those words struck Miku, because she realised that it was the only thing the mysterious girl had said all this time which was undoubtedly true. "Anyway, if you really insist on believing in them, then don't come running to me and crying for help when you realise who they really are," she continued, her earlier agitation completely gone from her words. She sounded cold. "I tried to let you know that they aren't what they seem to be, and you chose to ignore me. Go on, go on trusting blindly in that leader you know as Kagamine Len. Just to let you know, a few nights ago he brought back another child to Neverland and that child never saw the light of day again. Maybe this can serve as a small reminder that he isn't as benevolent as he makes himself out to be," she snapped impatiently.

Before Miku could explain that he did it because he had no choice – he was _commanded_ to by some strange dark masters of Neverland – the girl turned and disappeared into the undergrowth. After the rustling stopped, the girl was completely gone, and there was nothing at all to indicate that she had ever been here. She continued staring at the spot where the girl disappeared. Why did she even come all the way here? She didn't believe for a second it was just to check up on her – that seemed too trivial, and anyway given everything she had said about the Lost Boys to Miku, she didn't think her intentions were that simple. And her sudden appearance…Len had been living in Neverland for years, so it was strange that he never saw this girl before. Her appearance had to mean something.

She didn't want to think about what that meant right now, however. She was a little shaken by everything that girl just said. Even if she wished she could, she couldn't deny that some of her words made sense. It was making her uncomfortably suspicious. She had always been slightly paranoid, especially when it came to being left alone or abandoned, and this unease was making it worse. It was making her suspect that the Lost Boys would not come back to the den tonight, that maybe they had some secret plans they didn't want her to know about and thus wanted to avoid her. Or maybe they had fled from the place to somewhere safe from the _kararehe_ , leaving her to fend for herself.

 _Don't be ridiculous, they wouldn't do that. You know they wouldn't._ She had to consciously tell herself that, and she felt her worries subside a little. She wished she could be as completely at ease as she was earlier, before the girl arrived and planted the seeds of doubt in her mind, but there was no way she could achieve that. It would take days for her paranoia to lift. Still, calming down just slightly was better than not relaxing at all, and she took deep breaths to further relieve some stress. Perhaps it would not be the monsters in Neverland who ultimately killed her – maybe she would be the one to kill herself, with her constant fear and suspicion. She thought about returning to the den, where mysterious, faceless girls with unknown intentions were less likely to pop up and startle her.

However, the idea of going back underground was still somewhat repugnant to her. She was torn between her desire for safety and freedom. It didn't appear like the Lost Boys would return any time soon – she was desperately curious about the state of things now, if Len managed to separate Rei and Gumo or not – so she was left to distract herself until then. She thought that maybe she could train with her knives and targets until they were back, but she recoiled at the idea of going back to the den, especially to the training room. The training room was Nero's domain, and she didn't want to involve herself with Nero at the moment. They were still not on the most cordial of terms, and she didn't want to give Nero any chance to find fault with her, no matter how slim the chance was.

Besides, she still didn't want to go back inside the den. The overwhelming feeling of suffocation which had suddenly struck her and forced her out into the open was still present, and she didn't want to go back in and suffer. But that girl...she had ruined the feeling of peace and relaxation Miku was experiencing earlier in the forest, and now she didn't know where to go. Staying outside in the forest didn't seem like the most appealing of options either, not when she could be so easily snuck up upon. Maybe she would be attacked by will-o'-the-wisps – and this time, no one would save her.

Panic suddenly seized her, and she couldn't breathe. The suffocating feeling seemed to manifest itself physically, and she coughed frantically, trying to get her lungs to work. Was the girl still around? Was she the one who had made her come out of the den in the first place, and was she now punishing her for their disagreement? Miku did not know, but for once she didn't care for the answers – she ran out into the forest, wheezing as she fled, and she found that the further she got away from the den, the easier it was to breathe. Eventually, her running slowed to a walk.

She merely followed the path out into the forest, so she knew she could retrace her steps and she would end up back at the den again. She wasn't lost. Nevertheless, being so far away from relative safety made her uneasy, and she decided that she ought to head back. As the feeling of suffocation receded, so had her desire to come out into the open, and now nothing seemed better than being in the darkness and quietness of her room; she wanted to think over what was said to her, and whether she should worry. Because ultimately, the girl's words made sense. She couldn't just push away what she said and forget about it all, even if she wanted to rewind to the moment before all these doubts were brought up. What would it mean if she could not trust the people around her?

She started to head back, but when she crossed a certain border – she could not see the boundary, so she assumed there was some invisible line – the feeling of breathlessness returned. Spluttering, she retreated to safety, standing out in the open forest – the area around her was now eerily quiet, and she knew that was a bad sign. After all, last night, the sounds of the forest had quietened just before she ran into the will-o'-the-wisps. She glanced around, hoping that the fire spirits were not anywhere nearby again. Given her current state, she was sure she couldn't hold them off for long.

Was the barrier some kind of spell? She thought it might have been her own panic making her feel this way, like she couldn't breathe, but if it was panic then the feeling of suffocation should not have returned after her fear subsided, and especially not at such a precise point. Besides, now that she thought about it, she did not have a reason to panic earlier. It was as though some external force had meddled with her mind, making her feel unreasonable nervousness, making her flee into the depths of the wilderness. She inhaled – just standing here and pondering about it would get her nowhere, and every second she spent out here, away from the den, was one second closer to possible danger and even death. She would just have to find a way to get past this barrier.

Perhaps the other entrance would not be enchanted the same way this one was. She knew that the other entrance was much nearer to the heart of Neverland than this one, and was thus nearer to the dark masters who controlled Len – but if that allowed her to enter the den, then she wouldn't mind getting so close to dangerous territory. She knew the way to the other entrance, since Nero and Len had drilled the layout of the two entrances into her mind, in case they got separated during the _kararehe_ attack. She knew how to get from one entrance to the other. But Len always warned her not to cross over into the dark masters' territory. She didn't need an explanation or reason for why he insisted on this.

She made up her mind to get there. It didn't matter what the mysterious girl did – she was not going to just stand around and wait for monsters to attack her. Looking around and getting her bearings, she turned towards the right direction, taking in a deep breath. The darkness of the forest stretched out before her, still eerily quiet, and she realised she would have to stray off the beaten path to find the other entrance. She was scared – it was like last night all over again, but so much more frightening because the Lost Boys really weren't here this time. Last night, she knew they were in the forest, maybe watching her, maybe not. There was hope that they would intervene if something truly terrible happened to her. This time, they were not around. She was completely alone.

But she was not a scared little girl. She was weak compared to them, but she would not be timid or nervous, not anymore. She was tired of being seen as frail and useless, fragile in body and mind. She would show the boys – and specifically Nero – that she could save herself. She was not a damsel in distress who only knew how to mess things up and wait for them to rescue her. Hopefully, she would find her way to the other entrance before they even returned, and she would continue waiting for them to come back. Then she would let them know about the mysterious girl's visit, and casually mention how she survived the trip from the main entrance of the den to the side entrance. Maybe they would be proud, and stop treating her as someone to hide secrets from. She hoped so, at least.

Holding her breath and closing her eyes, she took her first shaky step into the trees, knowing that once she got swallowed up by the forest she would not be able to find the path again. Hands held out before her, she pushed the branches apart, slipping deeper and deeper into the shadowy, mysterious place which was now her home. The moonlight did not shine here, and when she opened her eyes, she could hardly tell the difference. It was so dark. She turned around, and the pathway beckoned to her – she could still change her mind, she could still go back to the known road. The moonlight shone over the path invitingly, tempting her to turn back from the blind darkness.

She gritted her teeth and ignored the draw of familiarity. If she remained with what was familiar to her, she would never get anywhere. Turning back to the dark unknown, she stepped further into the undergrowth, the forest swallowing her up entirely. Moments later, it was as though she had never existed – the moonlight shone coldly onto nothingness, and the crickets started chirping once more.

* * *

"I know I'm not supposed to blame you, but honestly – if Piko and Gumo arrived even five minutes later…I don't want to think about the consequences," Len sighed, leading the way. Rei was sulking behind him, and he didn't answer. Gumo was walking next to Rei, while Piko walked on Rei's other side and Nero at the very back of the group. They were essentially preventing him from fleeing.

"It's not like he could really control it, anyway," Piko spoke up in Rei's defence. Rei still did not respond – it was as though he was pretending that they didn't exist. Len wasn't particularly concerned though, since even if they weren't in such a situation, this was typical Rei behaviour. "It's time that you told Miku though. If you don't let her know exactly how dangerous you are, she'll probably take you as a challenge and keep trying to talk to you," Piko addressed Rei directly this time. Len turned, glancing back at the dark boy, and saw him flinch in response to what Piko said.

"She's irritatingly persistent, despite being so weak," Nero agreed, his voice floating over from the back of the group. "Always wanting to know everything – it's so obvious on her face. Even when she doesn't ask aloud you can practically see her wondering," he snorted. "One day, she'll find out something really terrible about us or Neverland and she'll regret ever pushing so far, you mark my words," the silence which came after he said that was broken only by the sounds of footsteps as they continued trudging through the forest. Len had to agree with Nero in this case, though often their views differed. Miku was…too curious for her own good. The other Lost Boys, when they first came to Neverland, just accepted everything he told them. They did ask questions, but not many, and eventually they grew to just obey him without question. Miku, however, did not.

Was it because of their different ages when they first arrived here? The boys were all children, scared and vulnerable, and they took him to be a parental figure, someone who protected them and cared for them. They knew that he was doing what was best for them, even if they didn't understand what he was doing. Whereas Miku was much older…sometimes, he wondered whether it would have been better if he passed by Miku and stayed another day on Earth, to look for an actual child instead of someone who was in between youth and adulthood. This turbulent transition was one he was unused to handling, but he had been impatient. Now, there were so many issues – he didn't know if he would have still chosen her if he knew from the start just how problematic her arrival would be.

She affected Rei so badly that he couldn't even be himself anymore, and Piko was always distracted by the constant presence of a female in the den – he tried to hide it but Len could tell that the silver haired boy was no longer as productive as he used to be. And her arrival here coincided with the _kararehe_ , and now there was this mysterious cloaked girl no one had ever seen before. It was all too much to be mere coincidence. He already knew she was different, ever since he brought her to the dark masters and they rejected her, but why? Was it just because she was a girl, or was it…her?

Was it something about her as a person which was different from the rest of them? He didn't know. She was, after all, somewhat different – she was a lunatic, or at least she had appeared to be one, though her bright eyes and the lucid words which spilled from her mouth were anything but insane. She saw monsters on Earth, and shadows in her room – she saw what no one else could see. She was special, like him. But he didn't know if she was special in a good way or bad way, so he decided not to bring this up with the Lost Boys. No need for them to panic about matters they knew little about.

"I already said I should have stayed out in the forest," Rei finally muttered, attracting all their attention. Len stopped, and so did all the others. Rei looked around at all of them, finally lifting his gaze from the forest ground. "Look, I snapped because of her. I couldn't control it. And it's not even because I'm young – I have no excuse for what I did other than simple animal hunger, and I feel completely sickened by myself and my instincts. Gumo got hurt because of me!" he raised his voice, and Gumo instantly reached out to Rei, gripping his shoulder tightly. The cuts on his arms drew Len's attention, but he didn't worry – they were shallow, and they would heal quickly, probably in less than a day.

"I'm not that badly injured, and it's not even your fault. I landed on a tree," Gumo said firmly. "You couldn't have done anything to hurt me anyway," his green eyes glinted with good humour, and Rei cracked a small, very unwilling smile. "And I totally understand that you're scared of hurting Miku! But don't you think we all feel the same way? She's so weak compared to us, even Piko, and Piko is the least aggressive out of all of us. Man, when I talk to her, I get so scared that I might say the wrong thing and she'll start crying or something, I don't know how to deal with girls," he looked a little nervous. "And I'm pretty sure that the reason why Nero is always absent when they're training is because he's scared he'll accidentally hurt her while demonstrating a technique or something," Len glanced at Nero, expecting the ill-tempered boy to retort, but Nero remained surprisingly quiet.

"But none of you want to eat her," Rei said dully. And then they were back to square one. Len sighed, placing two fingers against his forehead as Gumo shot his leader a look filled with helplessness. Piko and Nero were keeping out of it. None of them had ever seen Rei in this state before – he was usually sharp and quick-witted, and even though he didn't speak all that much, he didn't mope the way he did now. Len was the only one who saw him this way before. It was back before he came to Neverland, when he was still on Earth, suffering before Len decided to rescue him. He could say that Rei was the only person he really stepped in to save. Even death would have been better for him than staying on in the place he called home. But he never knew if Rei was grateful for what he did.

"Would you feel better if someone else admitted that they wanted to eat her too, then?" Len asked quietly, making very sure that he didn't sound snappish or impatient. Rei met his gaze, startled, and he continued now that he caught the boy's attention. "I mean, in a way, we all want to eat her, don't we? Let's not even talk about Piko," he glanced at the boy in question, who smiled guiltily and shrugged, "there's Nero, for example. He wants to tear into her and chew her up and spit her out, stronger than she was before. And Gumo…he wants her attention. He likes that he's no longer the youngest here," he smiled wryly, and Gumo ducked his head, acknowledging his leader's words. "And me…even me," he added, but he didn't elaborate on that because he personally didn't know what his intentions were with regards to Miku. He just mentioned himself because it sounded appropriate at this point.

Rei opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say a word, the sound of a scream pierced through the air, some distance away from where they were. It came from the direction of the heart of the forest, specifically the area Len told them all to avoid. The scream sounded terrifyingly female, and Len somehow knew that it was Miku, and not some Red Indian or pirate who had accidentally wandered into their territory. It had to be Miku. Who else could it be, when they were so deep in their own territory? "We need to go. It's too near _that place_ for my comfort," he commanded, and instantly all the boys, even Rei, turned and darted into the forest. He followed them, heart thudding.

The boys all knew it was Miku too. None of them had stopped to question who they were going to save. They flitted like shadows through the trees, moving with the swiftness of movement that came with years and years of experience – decades and centuries of running within and with the forest, their body and the trees becoming one. As they ran, another scream sounded, this time softer and perhaps a little further than before – she was probably running, but from what? That was what Len both wanted and dreaded to know. He feared that they wouldn't manage to reach her in time.

She was an _idiot_. Hadn't he already told her to stay where she was, and not follow them? He merely wanted to protect her from Rei and Gumo, because when they were fighting it would have been near impossible to calm them down while she was around, but he forgot there were other reasons why he preferred she remained in the safety of the den. The different possibilities started running through his mind – quicksand. Poisonous snakes. Angry stags. Rushing rivers. Will-o'-the-wisps. Wolves. The possibilities were endless, and she was so fragile that any one of these could easily kill her. Stupid girl, why did he bring a girl here? Why did any of the Lost Boys want a girl in Neverland?

Gumo was the first one to reach her – they saw, through the gaps in the trees, a glimpse of teal. She was running, but it was not very fast – she was clearly unused to the thickness of the trees and how the branches intertwined to trap anyone foolish enough to stray into their depths. Behind her, something was chasing her…Len focused on it, slowing down just enough to see clearly, and he saw a pelt of dark red, flames flickering around its silhouette. " _Kararehe_!" he breathed, shocked enough to actually stop and stare at the beast. Why was it in their territory – why did they keep showing up all of a sudden?

Piko hung back at his exclamation, brow furrowing. "I can't do anything about wolves," he exhaled, glancing at Nero. Nero shook his head – his violet eyes were hooded, and Len understood why. He was still too haunted by the death of the first Flame Wolf to do anything about this. "But Gumo – he's too young! He'll get badly hurt!" Piko pointed out, unease flickering across his face. Len started forward, but Miku, who was still trying to get away from the animal, suddenly showed a burst of surprising strength and leapt towards a tree, clambering up the thick trunk with speed that left him speechless. He never thought that the bony girl was capable of climbing a tree, let alone quickly.

On the downside, the tree was wood, and wood could burn. The Flame Wolf was pacing in a circle below the tree now, and the fire flickering down its pelt was burning hot and bright. Len knew that it was just waiting to set the tree Miku was in on fire. He couldn't see the girl's face from here, but he knew that she was probably terrified out of her wits – and anyway, even if she was in full possession of her logic, she wouldn't have the strength to jump from one tree to another. Maybe adrenaline had given her the boost needed to climb a tree, but jumping was too much for a beginner. She would fall and break her neck, and even Miku wasn't stupid enough to risk such a painful death.

Gumo burst into the scene at that moment, distracting the wolf, but as the wolf turned upon him, Piko's words registered and Len knew that someone was going to have to save the both of them. Gumo and Miku were the youngest out of all the Lost Children, and they were the least experienced with fighting. Gumo was far better at hunting prey and subduing the other boys when they fought than he was at fending off predators, let alone one which was so powerful and clearly magical. Len himself would have gone ahead and done something to rescue them both, but there was someone else in their group who would do a much better job of salvaging the situation than he could.

Nero, Piko and Len all turned to look at Rei, who fidgeted uncomfortably under the combined weight of their stares. Finally, he growled in reluctant acceptance of his duty and darted forward towards the wolf and the girl who affected him so badly. The rest of them hung back a little distance away, entirely prepared to step in and interfere if anything went badly wrong. Though it really shouldn't, since Rei was there. Rei, after all, had a special connection with wolves, and hopefully the _kararehe_ , being a wolf itself, would not be an exception to this. The wolf turned away from Gumo, distracted by the newcomer, and the three of them snuck slightly closer so that they could watch the proceedings.

Rei growled at the _kararehe_ , who snapped back, jaws salivating, its ears pressed flat against its skull. Gumo stared, and Miku gawked from her tree. Now that they were so close, Len could see the expression on her face – she was terrified, but the moment she saw Rei, her expression turned into one of relief. She probably really had thought she was about to die, which wasn't too surprising, given what was chasing her. Why did she seem to attract so much trouble, though? It was almost as if she was hexed. He was starting to think he should not let her take a single step out of the den.

Rei took another step closer to the wolf, which recoiled, ears flattening even more. Its tongue lolled, saliva dripping onto the forest ground – where the thick, clear liquid touched, the ground sizzled, smoke rising up in thin wisps. Rei then snarled, snapping his teeth together – Len didn't need to speak wolf to know that he was threatening the beast. Finally, the _kararehe_ whimpered and turned tail, running away from the scene. It brought its fiery light along with it, and once it disappeared into the thick undergrowth, they were all plunged back into darkness. Luckily, their eyesight had developed enough to see a little in complete darkness – just the tiniest hint of light was enough for them to find their way. And the dim moonlight showed that Miku was now hopelessly stuck on top of her tree.

"Good job, Rei. See, you're not as dangerous and pathetically useless as you make yourself out to be," he heard Nero clap Rei on the back, and Rei winced, shrugging Nero off. While Gumo and Piko went forward to congratulate Rei after his astounding display of wolfish ability, Len decided he should go and save the idiot stranded in the branches. Effortlessly, he climbed up the tree she was in, and soon enough he was standing right next to her, silently thankful that she had chosen a branch that was sturdy enough to support the weight of two people. Since her eyesight was not as keen and sensitive as theirs yet, and he made sure to move as stealthily as he could, she failed to notice him beside her.

"What did I tell you about staying in the den?" he spoke up, and she whipped around, gasping. As she turned, her foot slipped, and her arms flailed desperately as she tried to regain her balance. Instinctively, he reached out and caught her before she could fall off the branch, shifting his balance so that he wouldn't stumble right after her. Her slight weight settled in his arms, and for a while, he couldn't speak – her strange, intoxicating scent hit him full force, and he found himself becoming a little dizzy. Then he regained his senses. "Don't just stare at me, explain yourself," he snapped.

He didn't want to admit that he sounded so defensive partially because he was unused to her effect upon him. He wasn't used to being thrown off just by someone's scent. She shook her head, as though she was shaking water out of her ears, and pointed down at the ground, her fingers trembling. He knew that she wanted to get back down onto solid earth, so he did as she requested, holding on tightly to her and leaping from branch to branch until they were near enough to the ground for him to jump off the tree. He gave credits to her for holding back her screaming until the very end, and even then, when he jumped from the tree, she only made the softest of gasps.

"So, what were you doing out here?" he asked her again, this time not as brusquely as before. She fidgeted, and he realised he was still holding her – promptly, he dropped her, and as her feet touched the dirt she let out a sigh of relief. The other boys all approached them now, other than Rei, who lingered some distance away from Miku. Miku shot him a look, but she said nothing about his behaviour. Len wondered if she had heard enough from Piko to be scared of the dark boy now.

"I know I shouldn't have come out here," she started, high-pitched voice made even higher by her nervousness, "but…I have things to tell you, all of you," her gaze swept across the entire group, taking in the whole lot of them. "Things happened while you were out in the forest, and the _kararehe_ which was chasing me?" her tone was grim. "That wolf was only the beginning."


	20. Chapter 20

"Just promise me that you'll never take another step out of the den again," Len deadpanned, taking a seat opposite Miku. She was staring into the campfire, and he could see the reflection of the dancing flames in her green eyes. She had not said a word since she finished telling her story.

From what Len knew, she had felt the overwhelming urge to leave the den despite his instructions, and had been prevented from going back to the entrance by some strange, magical force, which was why she was walking around in the middle of the forest, looking for the other entrance. She had also run into that cloaked girl she mentioned the previous night, not once but twice, though the second time was no more than a fleeting glimpse. Miku claimed that the first time they met, right outside the den, the girl had spoken to her and tried to make her start suspecting the Lost Boys – something he was wary of, because everything the girl said was shockingly true. They would have to be careful about what they said in the forest in the future, lest this girl happened to overhear them again.

The second time, Miku said, the girl appeared before her near the heart of the forest, just a few seconds before the _kararehe_ showed up and attacked her. It made him wonder whether this strange girl was capable of somehow controlling the beasts, or whether it was mere coincidence that she and the _kararehe_ showed up at the same time. Yet Len rarely believed in coincidences – he always felt that there was a reason to explain everything. This was all too strange to just brush off.

"I didn't want to," she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. She was still staring into the fire. "As soon as that girl was gone I really wanted to go back inside, but I couldn't. When I tried to get near the den, I felt like I was going to suffocate," she shook her head. Gumo, who was sitting next to her, patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "She's up to something – she's not some benevolent saviour or guardian of the forest, you know. She's sinister. It's the way she laughs, you can tell when someone's mad just from the way they laugh," she looked up now, meeting his gaze. "The way she looked at me just before that wolf appeared…I _knew_ , right then, that there would be more, that this is just the beginning. But I don't know what is being set in motion," she shivered. "And I'm not sure if I want to know either. She's really strong. Maybe even stronger than you."

That did sound sinister. "You really don't know where she's from or who she is?" Nero spoke up, sounding disbelieving. "I bet if I were there, I'd have ripped her to shreds. Let's see just how strong a girl is against cold metal…" Len held up his hand, preventing Nero from grumbling further. Nero sighed and looked away, clearly unhappy about their current situation. But then he didn't expect any of them to be feeling cheerful at the moment. Even Gumo seemed to be a little more subdued.

"You think she can control them? The _kararehe_?" Piko echoed Len's thoughts, his slender fingers laced together to form a steeple as he pondered out loud. "Or is she just on their side? It would work against us if it was the latter, but we can still handle that. If she can actually control the Flame Wolves…" Piko shook his head. "I don't want to consider the consequences of that. From what Miku told us just now, she seems to have something against us, and more specifically, against you, Len," all eyes turned to him as Piko spoke those words, curious and even afraid. Len closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He didn't know what to do, for once. This was all so new to him; it was a threat they had never faced before, so they looked to him for guidance. He could not show his fear.

"I really don't know who she is, or where she comes from. I've never even heard of her, honestly. And I don't know why she has this vendetta against us. She could be anyone – everyone has some reason to fear or dislike us. She could be a mermaid who learned how to live out of water, or she could be a pirate, simply out for bloodshed and violence. Or she could be one of those Red Indian refugees we turned away in the past, back to seek revenge. For all we know, it could even be a will-o'-the-wisp, having taken over the body of some helpless girl. But that's not the main point now," he looked around all of them, his Lost Children, the people he had to look after and protect. "She has powers, but so do we, so what do we have to fear? As for the issue of her and the _kararehe_ , we can simply go back to the Red Indian territory to learn more about the beasts themselves. There will be no one better to ask than Silver Winds. We'll seek her guidance to tide over this crisis. I've been meaning to ask Silver Winds about something, and now is the perfect time to make the trip there. Tomorrow, I'll visit the Red Indians, and we'll see what we learn about the _kararehe_ and the girl."

The others all murmured and nodded, seeming satisfied with his plan, much to his relief. Then Rei, his second-in-command, asked the crucial question – "Are you bringing anyone with you?" he spoke up, amber eyes staring unblinkingly at him. The murmuring quietened, and they all stared at him once more, curious about his decision. Miku, especially, was gazing at him with those wide, almost creepy green eyes, and not for the first time, he felt like she was somehow looking into his soul. He resisted the urge to shudder and look away from her, thinking about Rei's question. Should he bring someone? Rei was most connected to wolves, which was a great help considering who their enemy was. But Nero was the best strategist. Piko was well-acquainted with the Red Indians and could probably distract Tiger Lily if she was around...and Gumo was simply so cheerful and friendly that he was easy to trust. Most people would spill their darkest secrets to Gumo shortly after meeting him.

All of them were good to bring, but if he really brought someone, he could only choose one. He could not afford to bring all of them despite their merits, because that would leave Miku and the den completely unprotected, and he didn't want the same thing to happen tonight, what with the girl mysteriously popping up and flushing Miku out of the den. He was almost certain that the girl did _something_ to make Miku leave like that. Miku was curious and stubborn, but she was traumatised by her experiences last night, and he knew she probably would not have gone out into the forest of her own accord, not until she recovered from the shock anyway. Admittedly, Miku then deciding to find the other entrance herself was a little dumb, since she almost definitely would have gotten lost, but he believed this problem would not have arisen if the cloaked girl did not show up in the first place.

"Bring me," suddenly, the teal haired girl he was thinking about just seconds ago spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. Len blinked, startled – had she really just volunteered to go? The trip to the Red Indian land would be dangerous, their stay there even more so. The Red Indians were wild and fierce, and terribly territorial at all times other than the night of the Hunt. They might have to fight, and she was not capable of doing that. He didn't fancy having to defend himself _and_ look out for her at the same time, if they ever had to fight the hostile Red Indians. Maybe she didn't know about the dangers – that was probably why she volunteered. Before he could start detailing the many different ways they could die while travelling there, Nero opened his mouth, taking over his job with relish.

"Don't be stupid. Do you really think it's going to be some safe, happy little tour around Neverland? Travelling from one territory to another is always dangerous. Other than during the Hunt, each territory is hostile. They attack first and ask questions later. Do you really want to fight off their border guards? They don't care that you're new to Neverland, or that you're a girl – to them, you're just an outsider, so they treat you the same way they treat all outsiders. They fight, and they fight to kill. Len has enough problems travelling to the Red Indian camp without you getting in his way," Nero snorted. "Besides, the dangers of the land there are as many, if not even more, than ours. They have deadly snakes which lurk in the tall grass, waiting for someone to carelessly step on them, and birds of prey who care not the difference between human and animal. Coyotes and wolves roam the plains, stalking prey from afar. And their people speak of the reanimated dead, deep in the Lost Valley of Souls – a location you have to cut through to reach their main camp, where they no doubt will be. Is that really something you think you're up to? Because I can assure you that you're not."

Everything Nero said was true. The trip there was rife with danger. The place where they all met for the Hunt was at the very edge of the Red Indian territory, near the border to both the pirate and the Lost Boys' land. To get to the actual Red Indian camp, they had to go through the Lost Valley of Souls, their burial ground. People who went in there rarely came back out. They could always take the long road around the valley, but that would take an extra three days, and Len didn't have that much time. The alternative was to fly across the territory, but the Red Indians were all good with bows and they could easily shoot down a flying target. Besides, he would prefer not to fly.

Miku looked perturbed, but she shook her head, gaze flitting between him and Nero. "I know that it's dangerous," she said haltingly, "but I'm the only one who knows anything about that cloaked girl. None of you have spoken to her or know what she's like. If you're going to ask any questions about her, then wouldn't it be best to bring me along? If we want to explore the connection between her and the _kararehe_ , we'd have to ask questions about both parties, right? Not just the wolves," she placed her hands in her lap, awaiting his decision. Len frowned. He knew that her logic was sound, but he was still reluctant to bring her along for this trip. Her presence would be more of a burden than any assistance, honestly. Was her knowledge about the girl really worth all this trouble?

Suddenly, Rei spoke up again, and they all looked at him, startled by the sound of his quiet voice breaking the silence. "I think you should bring her," he stated, fixing Miku with a piercing stare – she looked surprised that Rei actually agreed with her, but said nothing, looking down into her lap as Rei went on. "She causes trouble wherever she goes, that is true…but if she really is a magnet for bad luck, then her departure for a few days should make it safer for us to move for a while. Besides, she's never seen the other lands before, while we all have. Maybe seeing more of Neverland, and getting some real-life battle practice, would be good for her," he concluded. Nero snorted again.

"Rei, I don't know what you're thinking, but if she goes, I can practically guarantee she'll kill herself. She can't even survive in our own territory without being attacked by animals or _kararehe_. What makes you think that she can survive in another land?" he questioned. "Like I said earlier, this _isn't_ a tour around Neverland. She can learn about the other cultures some other day. As of now, we need to be quick and efficient. She'll only drag us down," Nero shot Miku a sideways glance. It was a valid argument as well. He wasn't sure which person he ought to listen to. Nero would know best, after all, about Miku's physical state, and if he said she was not capable of surviving, it was probably true.

"Why don't we have a vote, then?" Rei said placidly, unruffled by Nero's remarks. "I'm sure Gumo and Piko have their own thoughts about this matter, though they have not said a word yet. And Len himself too, he should make the call. He's the leader and the one travelling, after all," he looked at everyone as he spoke. Gumo ducked his head, and Piko sighed, clearly reluctant to be dragged into this matter. Len was still thinking about whether or not he should bring Miku, weighing the pros and cons. "So, who's in favour of Miku staying here?" Rei asked, looking directly at Miku as he said those words.

It was one of the rare times he ever looked at her, and his gaze was so penetrating that she felt like he could look right into her – as if he could tell what her true intentions for wanting to go with Len were. It wasn't just because she had knowledge of that mysterious girl. She did want to see the rest of Neverland, like Nero had pointed out, but it was also because she wanted to prove herself. If she could show Len that she was capable of holding her own, then maybe they would stop treating her like she was a child. She was unnerved by the mention of wild animals and the Lost Valley of Souls, but there was only so much practice she could do with a wooden dummy. She had to go out and try to attack an actual moving, living thing. It would be too late if her first fight was with the _kararehe_ themselves.

Besides, maybe being alone with Len would allow her to find out more about him, and about Neverland. About the Lost Boys. She wanted to clarify all the doubts in her mind – regarding their ages, their supposed powers, even the fight between Rei and Gumo. She did not miss the part earlier in his speech where Len talked about them, the Lost Boys, having powers just like the mysterious girl, and she wanted to know what powers they had. Were they really not who they seemed to be?

Nero didn't even bother to speak up, simply rolling his violet eyes and sighing exaggeratedly. Gumo, however, raised his hand, and she turned to him, shocked by his choice. He fidgeted uncomfortably, not meeting her gaze. "I think that Nero's right, she's not prepared to go out into the wilderness and just fight stuff," he explained, probably for her benefit. "It's too soon. If she wants to practice, then we can have her hunt prey. There's a difference between hunting and defending yourself from a predator, and if you can't even hunt prey yet, how can you survive an attack?" he glanced at her, looking apologetic, but she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to be upset at him. He was, after all, simply concerned about her. On the other hand, Nero probably just thought her unworthy.

"How about you, Piko?" Rei now asked the other boy, sitting in between Gumo and Nero. Piko looked up at the sound of his name, his mismatched eyes narrowing slightly. He seemed reluctant to speak, but that did not surprise her. She was more surprised by the fact that Rei was the one vouching for her to go. Was it just because he wanted to avoid her? And when he talked about her being a magnet for bad luck…it seemed almost like an insult, but she couldn't deny that wherever she went, trouble seemed to follow. Maybe he was right, and she really had some curse upon her.

"I think…she should go," Piko finally said, drawing an aggravated look from the blond haired boy beside him. "It'll be good for her to get some experience. Rei and I have been here a long, long time," he laughed bitterly, shaking his head, "and we both know that no matter how much you try to shelter and protect someone in Neverland, this place won't allow you to follow through. I personally feel it might be better for her to follow Len now, and at least be under his guidance, than to give her a dagger and throw her out into the wilderness, telling her to fend for herself – which, don't lie, we will all do when the _kararehe_ come to attack, regardless of how well-trained she is at that point."

"She'll kill herself," Nero said disbelievingly. "And you know it, Piko. We've all made the trip to the Red Indian base before, for our own personal reasons, and remember how many of us almost _died_ on the way? You, Gumo, even Len himself – you all almost didn't make it! And you're telling me, if three experienced, well-trained fighters almost lose their lives in the plains of the Indian territory, a little girl waving a small dagger would be able to fight her way through to victory?" he snapped. "Let's not kid ourselves. Don't feed her hopes. She won't live if she goes. We all know that."

"That was an accident, Nero," Piko said, and for once, his gaze and voice were hard. "You know if we didn't get backstabbed by…well, forget it. It's over. You and Rei made the trip without incident, and we would have too. It's not Gumo's fault," as Piko said this, Miku glanced at the boy mentioned, and realised that Gumo was looking uneasily at the ground, trying to disappear from the conversation between the older boys. "Are you questioning Len's ability to make a good judgement now, Nero? Because if you're comparing them travelling to our case, that's exactly what you're trying to imply."

"I did not say that," Nero shot back, violet eyes blazing with annoyance. "Don't go around making assumptions. This has nothing to do with Len's ability to make decisions. It's about _her_ – it's about Miku herself, she simply doesn't have the skill to defend herself and survive in the Indian plains. Maybe one day, she might, but _not now_ , and that's something you're not acknowledging. You know Piko, I'm just curious – are you suggesting that she go just because you're scared of losing control around her?" he said this liltingly, and it sounded more like a taunt than a question. "I mean, I'd understand why _Rei_ wants her to go of course, but even you, Piko? Now that, I did not expect."

Piko shot up from his seat, and Nero stood up too, both their expressions filled with fury. Miku chewed on her lip nervously. "What, are you trying to imply that I have no self-control now?" Piko, the one who was normally playful and even-tempered, almost as peace-loving as Gumo, was now hissing venomously at Nero. "Coming from you? At least I can do my work. At least _I_ don't have to stop doing my duties just because I'm scared of hurting someone else. At least I can control my strength, whereas all you can do is lash out and hurt others. All you know is violence, isn't it, Nero?"

"Strength? What strength?" Nero spat back in return, pushing Piko. The silver haired boy stumbled, but quickly regained his balance, his dual coloured eyes burning with a fury she had never imagined Piko to possess. "All _you_ know how to do is hide in times of trouble. You're always in the den, always keeping out of the way. Who's the one who allows himself to be whipped by Megurine Luka like a pet dog?" he sneered. "Who's the one who is so _weak_ that he can barely control his impulses?"

Piko outright snarled. She couldn't stand it anymore – couldn't stand watching them argue like that, over something so trivial. She would just not go if she had to, but she didn't want them to fight. It was making her remember what life was like with her mother. The fights, the drunken slurs, the emotional abuse. The insults, being made to feel like she was worthless. Being told she was a problem child who should never have been born. It was all said in the heat of the moment, when her mother was drunk, but that didn't take the sting away from the words. "Stop, stop it!" she cried, lunging forward to stand between them, terrified of what would happen if the fight continued.

"Get out of the way," Nero snapped, shoving her aside so he could continue facing Piko. She fell with another cry – his push was a little more forceful than she was used to – but Piko caught her before she hit the ground. She exhaled, glancing up at him – he wasn't looking at her though. He was still facing Nero, and the glare on his face was icy cold. Nero simply glared back, refusing to look at her.

"Okay, that's enough," Len finally intervened, rising from his seat and physically forcing the two apart. "Both of you, stop it. Haven't you argued enough?" he snapped impatiently. Neither boy answered. "I know we're all stressed, and we're worried about the future. But yelling at each other won't do anything. And Nero," Len turned to face the boy, "you might be stressed, but don't take it out on the others. And don't take it out on Miku. It's not her fault she's weaker than the rest of us."

Nero took in a deep breath, and she feared that he would start yelling again, this time at Len himself. But the furious glint in his violet eyes faded, and he looked at her, face expressionless. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you," he said flatly. But she was surprised enough that he addressed her directly, much less apologised to her. "Do whatever you all want," he added, speaking to the group at large now, "but whatever your decision, know that I was the only one who actually considered her skill and how that affects her chances of survival. If you're going to grant her wish for independence, if you want her to see the world, then do it. But know that it's your fault when she doesn't make it."

With those less than positive parting words, Nero turned and went inside his room, shoving the vines covering the entrance apart with so much force that one of the vines snapped, falling with a loud 'thump' to the ground. The vines shivered and swayed as they fell back together, covering the entrance to the room once more. There was a conspicuous gap where the fallen vine once hung. For a while, there was nothing but silence as everyone digested what just happened. The crackling sound of the campfire burning was all she could hear, along with the sound of her heart beating.

Piko was the first to break the silence. "You can continue lying in my arms if you like it that much," he spoke to her in his usual playful, semi-flirtatious manner, though the tension from the earlier argument still lingered in his gaze. She realised she was still being supported by him and hastily stood up, edging away from him slightly. He shrugged, settling himself back onto his log. The rest of them followed suit, Len looking a little troubled by the turn of events. Gumo asked her softly if she was all right when she returned to her seat, and she nodded. The only one who seemed to be totally unaffected by what happened was Rei, who had his arms folded and was watching them intently.

"I guess from the vote that we have a stalemate, then?" Len continued where they left off, ignoring the conspicuous empty seat next to Piko. "Gumo and Nero think that Miku should not come with me, while Rei and Piko think otherwise. So it's up to me now," he closed his eyes, exhaling. She waited nervously for him to announce his decision. If he decided that she ought not to come with him, she would be all right too. After seeing Nero and Piko argue so much over precisely this decision, she didn't want anything to do with it anymore. She could just stay here and practice her knife throwing. It was better than listening to the boys argue over her. She didn't want to be a cause of conflict.

"All right then, Miku. Go get some rest while you can. Once it is daybreak, the two of us will set out for the Red Indian territory," Len finally said, much to her surprise. Rei smiled placidly, as though he had expected this outcome from the very beginning, and Piko nodded slowly, though he looked more tired than triumphant. Gumo blinked, but didn't say anything about Len's final decision. Len spoke directly to her now after his announcement. "Like Nero said, the journey will be tiring and extremely dangerous. I can't look out for you every single moment, so you have to be careful and watch where you're going. Under absolutely no condition are you allowed to wander away from me without my express permission, do you understand that?" his gaze seared her. She nodded. She had no intention of doing anything she wasn't supposed to do. She was scared enough as it was.

"I'll just…go back to the room," she said cautiously, and when Len nodded, she rose and scampered away from the campfire. Gumo followed her, probably concerned about her, while Len, Rei and Piko continued sitting where they were. They were the three oldest, he realised – the three oldest who all agreed that Miku ought to follow him on his journey. Surely all three of them could not be wrong. There was something to be said about age and experience. He hoped that they wouldn't be making a terrible mistake, because he personally wasn't sure if he could protect Miku during their travels.

He chose to take her along because he figured Piko's argument made sense. Rei and Piko both spoke the truth – it would be good to give her some experience out in Neverland itself, rather than having her always practice within the walls of the den. It was safe, but she wouldn't get far with just that. And better that she follow him and learn how to fight when he was able to look out for her, rather than her having her first ever encounter with violence in the midst of the ruckus and confusion of the _kararehe_ attack. He would just have to keep Nero's words in mind throughout the journey. She was neither strong nor experienced, and he could not expect her to do the same things as the boys.

Another reason why he decided to bring along Miku was because he secretly agreed with Nero – he could guess that the underlying reason why Rei vouched for Miku to leave was so he could spend the time, while she was away, trying to regain control over his animal side. He didn't know whether Piko, too, wanted to use this opportunity to get his desires under control, but he felt that being separated from Miku might do the silver haired craftsman some good either way. "Sometimes, I wonder what Nero is thinking," Piko suddenly spoke up, sounding idle. "I know he's hot-headed, and that he looks down on people who he deems weak. But do you think he might argue out of concern for the girl? I honestly never thought that Nero was capable of showing concern for anyone other than himself."

"He does have feelings too, you know. Though he might want us to believe he's an asshole," Rei replied, sounding bored. "I don't know, I haven't been around enough to see how Nero and Miku interact, but I thought Nero seemed almost protective of the girl. Well, until he pushed her aside, of course. Then I changed my mind," Rei picked up a short stick from the ground, tossing it into the fire. The fire roared and crackled, devouring the fuel. "Maybe he just doesn't know how to deal with his emotions. He's too impatient…he thinks we consider things too slowly. He calls Len and I old, and thinks that might have affected our ability to think," he laughed. "He outright said it to my face, and I've never forgotten that moment. He's probably cursing our old age now as I speak."

"Do you think he likes her?" Piko commented, and the three boys looked at each other, wondering about the possibility. "I would say he does, actually," Piko continued after some consideration, "but maybe his affection just expresses itself differently from others. If he doesn't care about her at all, he would have just let her go, right? Unless he wanted to follow Len himself, of course," he added.

Len shook his head. "Nero doesn't have a reason to go to the Red Indian territory. He finished his business there the last time he went, and he told me personally afterwards that he never wants to see Tiger Lily up close ever again. I doubt he wanted to follow me," he narrowed his eyes at the orange flames dancing before him. An uncomfortable feeling was growing in his chest as they talked about Nero and Miku, but he couldn't describe it and he never felt it before, so he didn't know what it meant. Maybe he was just tired, and the feeling would go away after he got some rest. "Besides, does it matter what Nero wants from Miku, or how he feels about her? As long as they continue doing what they're supposed to do, I'm perfectly fine with any sort of relationship between them."

"Well, I don't like it," Piko sighed and stretched, the earlier agitation he displayed while fighting with Nero completely gone. He now looked languid, almost sleepy. "It's not because I like her, because I don't," he added, "but someone so weak will suffer with someone as explosive as him. I care for her safety as a friend and fellow Lost Child, and I know that the more Nero bottles his possible feelings up, the harder it'll be for them to communicate. Remember what Gumo said earlier to Rei? That the reason why Nero disappears from training so much is because he's afraid he'll accidentally hurt her? I think his point is actually quite valid. Nero didn't snap back the way I thought he would, either."

"Or it might be because he didn't want me to go back into my state of depression," Rei said wryly. "Even Nero knows when to keep his mouth shut…occasionally. Who knows what he's thinking?" he sighed. "And why are we talking about Nero and Miku like a group of gossips? It's unlike us. We really are getting old, aren't we?" he asked, looking at the other two. Len could not tell whether Rei was serious or whether he was making a joke out of this. Knowing him, it could well be either.

"Or bored. We might be bored," Len replied, a small smile on his face. He liked times like these with his Lost Boys, when they could just sit around a campfire and chat about little, unimportant things. It made him feel better about his life, about the harshness of survival in this land. It had been a while since he talked to any of them this way, because they were always preparing for attack, and even before the _kararehe_ threat…they had been listless, too distracted by the thought that something was _missing_ to have casual conversations. Was Miku really the missing link? He still couldn't help thinking that maybe life wouldn't be as hectic now if he had chosen another girl. But it was too late for regrets.

"We have little time to spare for boredom nowadays, Len," Piko exhaled, his eyes half-lidded. "We have little time for even ourselves, which is why we should stop focusing our attentions on Nero and Miku. I want to think about me," he groaned, yawning right after he finished speaking. "Let's forget about them and Nero's outburst. I have to continue fortifying the den tomorrow, Rei has…whatever he's been doing lately to busy himself with, and you need to go to the Red Indian territory in an hour or less. We all need to get some rest, so have a nice sleep. I'll see you later, Rei," he nodded at the dark boy, rising from his seat and making his way back to his room. After he ducked inside the cave, the vines falling together behind him, Rei and Len exchanged a look. Then Len started to laugh.

It wasn't really a humorous laugh – he sounded almost desperate. Rei didn't comment, but sat there patiently and waited until Len stopped laughing, feeling breathless and resisting the sudden urge to break down, right there and then. "Am I doing the right thing?" he asked his eldest Lost Boy. "Do you think I'm leading us all to nothing but doom? I'm sick of not knowing anything. I'm supposed to know everything about the forest, but suddenly there's this girl popping up from nowhere and there's a hungry pack of bloodthirsty wolves desperate for revenge on our heels. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You did your best, and that's what's most important," Rei replied patiently, his amber eyes not betraying any hint of emotion. "We couldn't ask anything better of a leader. And Miku will be safe with you, we know it. I admit that I wanted her out of the den because I'm scared of what will happen if I continue staying in the same area as her," Rei looked away, "but I also want her to grow and experience reality. She's too sheltered. She doesn't know a thing about survival here, and Nero's teachings won't help. She needs to _know_ , and she has to know soon," the way Rei said those words let Len know that he wasn't just talking about her gaining practical experience. Len swallowed.

"You want to let her know?" he hissed. "The truth behind your fights, the anger and the lack of fear? You want her to know now that we're ageless and immortal – that you _change_ , all of you change? She feels inferior enough as it is. How would she react if…if she knew that she's the only one in the den who could really die? We hold sway over the flow of time, while she does not. It'll be too much for her to understand now. She has enough problems with physical skill – I don't want to burden her with the difficulty of trying to deal with the flow. Not yet," he stressed on the last two words.

"She will have to know eventually. In fact, by following you, something might happen which arouses her suspicions, and then you would have to explain it to her anyway," Rei pointed out. He reached out, patting his leader's shoulder. "I believe in you. We all do. Three hundred years, Len, you've led us. We've been through worse than this, and we will survive now. You already have a plan, don't you? So why do we fret? As long as we have a plan, everything will fall into place," Rei finished serenely.

Len shot Rei a bleak look, trying to hold the same faith in their future but wondering if his faith would last. He was the leader, he had to be positive – so he would try his hardest. "I hope everything works out, Rei," he answered, "I really do. It'll be my responsibility if anything happens to us. And especially for Miku. I brought her into this mess, so I'm responsible for her as well. I just fear that I wouldn't be able to shoulder such a burden. The Lost Valley of Souls is a difficult place to navigate. And that incident, so many years ago…" his eyes clouded with memories. Yes, he had almost died. He, Piko and Gumo had all almost died on the way back from the Red Indian camp. It was a memory that haunted him terribly. If Rei and Nero had not come to save them, Len might not be here now.

"It won't happen again," Rei reassured him firmly. Rarely did the dark boy take on a supportive role, but he would do it when his leader could not. "Just go and get some rest, Len. You worry now only because you are tired. You normally do not fret this much, even before the Hunt. Get some sleep," he repeated. "You're more likely to die in the Lost Valley of Souls if you lack the energy to flee."

Slowly, Len nodded, and he rose from his seat, heading back towards his room. Rei watched his leader leave, taking note of the exhausted slope of his shoulders and the way he hung his head. Hopefully, a rest would do him some good, and they would be prepared tomorrow. For Rei himself, he was just thankful that Miku would be out of the den soon. It might give him some time to think.


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm all right, really," she settled herself onto the mattress she called her own, hugging the pillow close to her. Piko had made another pillow for Len, so he let her keep the original one now. "I just didn't expect Piko and Nero to fight, especially not about this. It's not worth fighting over."

Gumo was listening intently, gaze fixed on her as she spoke her opinion. He had just asked her how she felt about the fight, and about going to the Red Indian territory with Len. In all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to go now. Nero and Len's warnings about the journey did scare her somewhat. The snakes and birds and coyotes did not frighten her – but what they said about the reanimated dead in the Lost Valley of Souls struck a chord of fear deep within her heart.

"Nero's really tense at the moment, but it's the first time I saw Piko get riled up that way," Gumo shook his head wonderingly. He was sitting on Len's mattress, looking up at her as he spoke. "I never thought he would lose his temper, honestly. He's calmer than I am," he picked at a loose thread on his shirt. "It's all my fault," he suddenly sighed, "the thing that Nero brought up. Piko says it's not but I know it is. I'm the youngest, and I make the most mistakes," he pulled out the thread, snapping it and tossing it onto the cave floor. "If I had not been so stupid as to accept their gift, we wouldn't have roused the ghouls and we wouldn't have almost died. So Miku," he fixed her with a strangely hard stare, "if the Red Indians ever offer you a gift, don't accept it. I learnt the hard way."

"Wait, ghouls?" she wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing her knees up to her chin. "So there really are zombies in the Lost Valley of Souls?" she had hoped that the term 'reanimated dead' might be some kind of metaphor for something else. Zombies just sounded too unbelievable to be true. Gumo nodded, looking down at the thread he just discarded. His expression was sombre.

"The Red Indians bury their dead there. Once a year, the night after the last Hunt of the year, they capture the largest deer in their territory and set it loose into the valley to feed the dead. If that year, the prey is scarce and they cannot afford to sacrifice any meat, they send their elders and the dying to the valley," his face screwed up in disgust. "The Red Indians themselves don't personally know what happens in the valley. None of them dare to cut through it to find out, because those who do never return. They'd rather make the three day trip around the valley's edge. We all know, though. And trust me, Miku, you do not want to see any of the walking dead. The _smell_ …"

She was disgusted too, by the idea of human sacrifice. "They just send their elders there?" she asked. "The dying? Even if they're little children? What if it's their chief who is dying, do they send the chief too?" she was used to human sacrifice being connected to evil or Satanism and all sorts of other strange, occult beliefs. Yet here, to the Red Indians, it sounded like a normal part of their lives. She shuddered, knowing she would not want to live among them. It sounded like a brutal existence.

"I don't know about that," Gumo shrugged. "They send whomever they deem too weak to survive in the plains. And those who are chosen just go, anyway. They say better a quick death, eaten by those they once knew, than to starve or freeze or be torn into by the wild beasts of the plains," he lifted his gaze, looking right at her once more. "We've had refugees, you know," he added, this time in a voice so quiet that she had to lean forward to hear him speak. "People who were chosen to be sent to the valley, who somehow eluded their captors and made their way here without being killed on the way. I don't know what happens to them, but they never stay. They can't," he sounded grim. "Those who make the journey and succeed are often ill – the elderly and the injured cannot go far, whereas some of the sickly have surprising strength of will. But we lack the supplies to help them, and I suppose they get eaten in our forests instead of in their valley," he noticed the stricken look on her face and sighed again. "That's reality in Neverland, Miku. Only the strongest can survive. We can barely afford to help ourselves, let alone help other people," he explained dully. "So let's just make the best of what we have. Better the others die than one of us – we aren't altruistic enough to save everyone who comes to our territory and begs for our help. Not even I am willing to do that."

It was the first time she heard Gumo sound so…depressing. She expected this sort of nihilistic attitude from Nero or Rei, perhaps, but never from Gumo. It was strange to see him as something other than the Lost Boys' ray of sunshine, and that really drove home just how different and dangerous the plains of the Red Indians must be. But it was too late for regrets, since Len had made his decision, and she didn't want to back out of this. She was the one who wanted to go, after all.

She heard the sound of vines being brushed aside and turned around, already knowing who would walk into the cave – Len came in, holding the vines up, barely distinguishable from the shadows save for the glint of his blond hair as the orange firelight outside reflected off each strand. "Gumo," Len sounded tired, "don't let what Nero said affect you too badly. Piko and I know that it wasn't your fault," Gumo glanced up at Len, and since he was looking away from her she could not see the expression on his face. He nodded, rising from the mattress and making his way out of the cave. His posture was stiff, and she guessed that Len's words didn't help much – Nero's remarks must have made him feel terrible about himself. As she watched him leave, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Gumo, wait!" she called out, tossing the pillow she held aside and clambering off the bed. He paused, halfway out of the cave already, and ducked back into the room, giving her a quizzical look. She swallowed. "I almost forgot…what happened between you and Rei earlier, after Piko and I ran away?" she could not help but cringe when she said those words. It made them sound so cowardly. But true to what Nero mentioned, Gumo looked perfectly fine. He blinked, startled by her question, and awkwardly reached up to run his fingers through his hair – and then, in the dim orange glow of the campfire light, she saw a small scratch. No, not just one but a few, criss-crossing up his arms like a faint red web. She had not noticed them earlier while they were outside because she had been busy telling her story and listening to the others discuss. "Did you get hurt?" she asked in concern, indicating the scratches.

"Oh, these little things?" Gumo glanced at the scratches too, bringing his arm down and squinting at the wounds in confusion. "I don't even know how they got there, really. Must have accidentally scratched myself in my sleep," he laughed. "Nothing happened! I struggled a little with Rei but he eventually calmed down, and neither of us were injured. Don't worry yourself about us," he flicked his fringe back, grinning in the manner she was so used to – the despondent Gumo she saw just moments ago appeared to be completely gone. But she frowned, finding his words suspicious.

"I know people can scratch themselves in their sleep, but this is too much – and your other arm!" she grabbed the other hand as he tried to subtly edge out of the room. She could feel the little bumps and ridges of the scratches that marred his skin. "What were you doing Gumo, clawing yourself in your sleep?" she demanded. She couldn't decide if it would be good or bad, finding out that his scratches were a result of his fight with Rei. It was good that the only injuries he had were these, he would probably heal in a day or two. But knowing that he got hurt because of her…

Len walked over to her then, grabbing hold of Gumo's wrist, his fingers just centimetres away from hers. He stared hard at her, the blue eyes that seemed almost black in the dim light narrowed in warning. She swallowed, wondering if she ought to be stubborn and continue clinging on to her friend – for Gumo was the only Lost Boy she was willing to acknowledge as a true friend – but after a few more seconds of this stalemate, she ducked her head and let go. There was something about Len which screamed _alpha male_ , and since she lived under his protection, she could not defy his will – at least not to his face. "Gumo moves around very often in his sleep," Len said, tone even, "and it's not the first time he's been injured this way. It's perfectly normal," he turned to Gumo, who eagerly nodded in agreement. Miku didn't want to argue with them over this, so she simply walked away.

"Go back to your room, get some rest," Len murmured to Gumo, "and when you wake up, let Nero know of our decision. I don't want anyone else telling him, since you're the only one who took his side. Rei and Piko should be able to keep him in check even without my presence, but I'd rather be safe than sorry…you understand me, don't you?" the green haired boy made a sound of assent, glancing back at Miku, who had gone back to her bed, either ignoring or pretending to ignore the both of them.

"Will she be all right in the plains, Len?" he asked, and he sounded very scared. Len paused. It was instinctive, of course, to reassure Gumo that everything would be okay, but the way Gumo looked at him seemed to say that he didn't want blind reassurance, nor did he crave pointless comfort. And he would not appreciate it if Len were to lie to him. It struck him then, just how much his youngest Lost Boy had grown. This whole time he had been the child. Perhaps Miku did bring some good to them – Gumo appeared to be more…mature now. Though Len didn't know if that was the right word to use.

"She'll be as all right as her training allows," he finally answered, not knowing what else to say. They both knew that it would be a lie to say she would be perfectly safe. But he didn't want Gumo to just prepare himself for the worst. There was always a chance, no matter how minimal, that she would make it in the end. "And you know that I would do my very best to keep her alive. I have tried to give all of you the space to grow, to learn how to defend yourselves, and I will do the same for her."

"I know," Gumo lowered his gaze. "I just can't help but worry. Nero is right, you know. I don't think she's ready. None of us think she's ready, not even Rei or Piko. They didn't agree to her going because they thought she would be able to survive by herself. They wanted her to grow, like you want us to – but is this really the right way? Won't it be far too dangerous?" Gumo exhaled, rubbing his hand tiredly across his eyes. "I mean, I respect your decision, Len, but I really wonder how you arrived at this choice. Anyone else would have been better to bring, even me," he muttered.

Len patted Gumo's shoulder in an attempt to comfort – he was bad at cheering people up. Len could lead and command, but comforting and reassuring was something that Piko was better at. "I believe that Rei and Piko are right in some sense. She is too sheltered," he glanced at the girl, who was now curled up in bed, perhaps resting – though he doubted she was really sleeping. She was too curious for her own good, she would no doubt be trying to listen in. "This experience will do her some good. Then perhaps," he raised his voice slightly for her benefit, "she will know that we do not exaggerate when we speak of the dangers here and she will stop trying to sneak away by herself."

"I can hear everything you're saying, raised voice or not," came the muffled words from the bed, and reluctantly, Gumo smiled. The figure on the bed turned around and placed the pillow over her head, and Len gave Gumo a little push out of his room. The boy stumbled past the vines hanging over the entrance and left, but not without turning around and giving him a final wish of good fortune.

Len had never believed in coincidence, or luck. Luck rarely played a factor in his decisions. But when Gumo wished him, so sincerely, good luck for the journey ahead, a sudden cold chill ran down his spine, and he shuddered, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around himself. An ill omen? But that was ridiculous – to believe in omens and superstitions. Maybe he was just cold or tired, and he ought to get some sleep before they set off in the morning. Eyeing his bed, then glancing at Miku, who was probably still awake, he decided that he would prepare for their trip after he woke up.

* * *

"Is that all?" Miku stared at the little satchel Len was carrying. Len raised an eyebrow, clearly wondering why she seemed so hesitant. Of course she was – the others all made it sound like the journey would take days. Len's satchel was so small that it could only contain…she didn't know exactly what it could possibly contain, because his satchel was about the size of two hands.

"Why would we need anything else?" he wanted to know. He patted the little satchel, looking satisfied. "This is all we need to show our peaceful intentions. As long as we bring this satchel to Silver Winds, their soothsayer, we will be allowed to stay. I know she has been looking for this for a long, long time," he patted the satchel fondly again. She stared at him. This was definitely the first time she saw someone setting off on a journey without food, or at least something to drink from.

"I don't know, maybe a bottle or something?" she asked, almost sarcastically. Len's eyes narrowed as he picked up on her incredulity, and she swallowed, suddenly recalling that Len was the person who would keep her safe during their trip through the plains. She was sure that he wouldn't just abandon her and leave her to die – he was the leader, after all – but maybe it would be better not to offend him, in case he really decided to let her 'experience the realities of the world' and make her kill a deer and eat it or something. Miku still absolutely refused to have anything to do with deer.

"Why would we need a bottle?" he asked, shaking his head. "We'll probably reach their territory by tomorrow morning, tomorrow evening if we decide to rest the first day. There's no need for water during such a short journey," he said dismissively. It was her turn to shake her head now – Len and the Lost Boys may not be mere mortals, as she somewhat suspected, but she still was, and if she went without water for so long, she was bound to get dehydrated. He seemed to realise this shortly after brushing her comment off, and he passed the satchel to her, telling her to wait while he went off elsewhere.

She slung the satchel over her shoulder so she wouldn't have to keep carrying it, wondering if the Lost Boys had water bottles. Come to think of it, she never really saw them drinking anything at all, and whenever they felt thirsty they just went to the nearest river and drank from there. Perhaps Len was expecting her to do the same thing, which she could do if they were just going to stay in their own territory, where there were plenty of rivers and streams. But if the plains had no water source, then she would be in trouble, especially since they were probably going to hike for quite some time.

The satchel she carried was remarkably light, even considering its size. It almost seemed empty. But it couldn't possibly be empty, since Len said that whatever was inside was sought after by Silver Winds, the soothsayer they were travelling to meet. She was tempted to open the satchel and see for herself the contents, and she told herself that Len had not prevented her from opening the bag, so technically she would not be doing anything wrong. But as her fingers crept towards the clasp, a sudden feeling of coldness radiated up her fingers, so cold that it almost burnt, and with a soft cry she whipped her hand away from the clasp, staring down at it in disbelief. What was inside this bag?

"It would be best that you don't know the contents," Len called out, returning from wherever he went just now. He tossed a wooden flask to her, and much to her own surprise, she caught it – she had never been good with catching things and her reflexes were hardly stellar. Nero's training, though rough and brutal and – in her personal opinion – extremely unfeeling, seemed to be doing its work. Len noted her success with surprise. "I thought you would drop that," he said matter-of-factly, ignore her look of insult. "But it's good, you proved me wrong. You're getting better, Miku," he added, and the feeling of discontent was replaced by something that was almost happiness. She had just been complimented, after all, on something she was never particularly good at in the past.

He held out his hand, and she returned the satchel, glad to be away from the thing which almost froze her. She decided that whatever was inside that bag, though mysterious, was probably quite terrible and she didn't want it near her anymore. He took hold of the satchel comfortably, and she eyed his fingers as they dangled near the clasp – was he really unaffected by the burning cold she had felt radiating from the metal? The skin of her fingers tingled, still remembering how it felt like to be both cold and hot at the same time, and she held her wooden flask a little tighter, finding comfort in the smooth wood. The wood was at the perfect temperature, and it wouldn't freeze her to death.

She turned the flask over in her hands, studying it closely. It had to be Piko's handicraft – the wood was polished to a high sheen, and he had somehow managed to replicate the same little ridges around the top of actual bottles using wood, allowing a cap to be screwed on and off the flask. The cap of the flask was made of wood too, and it could be unscrewed to become a cup if she wanted. She shook the flask and heard the sound of liquid sloshing away inside. "Piko made this?" she asked, genuinely awed. She knew that Piko was good with wood, but she always thought he focused on things like furniture and training dummies – necessities for their survival. She didn't think that he could make something so…small. And the excellent craftsmanship showed itself in just how smooth the flask was.

"He's good with his hands," Len answered, sounding less than interested. "That was one of his little handicrafts, some time ago. I brought him a thermos flask and he vowed that he would be able to create one of his own using nothing but wood. It looks the part, but whether it can maintain the temperature of liquids the same way a thermos can…well, you can be his guinea pig and determine that for yourself. Besides, having warm water to drink instead of cold won't kill you," he added.

That was true, though she wished he didn't say it in such a flippant way. "Shall we go then?" she asked, gripping the flask tightly. It was so smooth that she feared it would just slip out of her fingers and break on impact with the ground; if that happened she most probably wouldn't have any water to drink until they reached the Red Indian base camp. He nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to enter the portal to the outside world first. She took a deep breath and went in, by now used to the eerie feeling of floating in space as she left the den, going back up to the surface of Neverland.

Before long, she was clambering out of the tree trunk and into sunshine, feeling the weak rays of the sun caress her face. It was nice to see daylight for once, though her new nocturnal schedule meant that even the weakest rays of light blinded her momentarily. She blinked rapidly, getting used to the sudden brightness, and felt Len touch her shoulder as she waited for her vision to go back to normal. Right now, there were black spots floating in front of her face. "When you're better, let me know and we'll make the trip. I want to avoid going into where the masters are, so we have to make haste. We're taking the long road out to their territory," he explained, patting her awkwardly then shifting away from her. She didn't know whether she found his awkwardness amusing or irritating, and just settled for remaining silent until she could move. Her eyes were adjusting, slowly but surely.

"I'm good," she said a few seconds later. Len nodded, then set off throughout the forest, and she followed him readily. She remembered the last time she walked with Len alone in the forest was when he sent her to die in that cave, and that ominous thought made her wonder if perhaps, she would have to face an ordeal again, this time with Len. Perhaps she would have yet another near-death experience. There seemed to be no shortage of such occurrences in Neverland. She was almost getting used to it, the number of times she almost died every time she went out of the den.

They trekked in silence for quite a while. She was bored of course, listening to nothing but the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling – she only now realised how rarely she heard the songs of birds in Neverland, since whenever she went out at night she could hear nothing but owls and crickets. Her gaze focused on the little brown satchel bag Len was carrying as it bounced up and down in front of her, tempting her to reach forward and open it. But she wasn't that stupid. The clasp itself was enough of a warning – she had almost touched it, and felt pain when she did. What would happen if she opened the bag itself? Miku was curious about everything here since it was all so new, but she was not reckless, and she was definitely not stupid. She would not do anything to risk her own life.

The forested landscape around them did not change much, though they continued walking on and on. It made her wonder, after a while, if they were still moving throughout the forest or if they were actually stuck in some endless loop, cursed to roam the same patch of forest over and over again. It was illogical, she understood that, but after seeing that tree with the strangely bent branches for the fifth time she knew she had to voice her doubts out to Len, lest she drove herself insane wondering if she was trapped in some magical forest prison along with her leader.

"Are we actually going anywhere?" she panted, breaking the silence that had stayed stubbornly between them for – how long had it been, minutes or hours? Or perhaps even the whole day. She completely lost track of time after counting till the thousandth second. Len didn't even bother to turn back and acknowledge her as he continued brushing ferns and branches aside, clearing a path for the both of them. It was only after they made it out of this particularly tangled grove of trees did he finally stop and face her, an expression of wondering incredulity on his face. She wondered what stupid thing she had said this time. Her question was entirely legitimate – she was sure they were just looking at the same scenery over and over again, and that worried her. Maybe they were travelling in circles.

"Of course we are, don't be ridiculous," he said sharply, staring at her judgementally – at least, she felt like he was looking rather judgemental – as she opened her wooden flask, drinking yet again from her precious supply of water. "You know it's been less than an hour since we left the den, right?" he grabbed the flask from her as she lowered it from her mouth, holding it high out of her reach and entirely ignoring her protests. He stared down into the flask, shaking it and gauging how much water was left inside, and sighed. "You've drained over half of your supply already. At this rate, you'll run out of water before midday. Refill your flask if you see any stream later, all right?"

"Yes, yes, now give it back to me," she said impatiently, still thirsty. The sun's rays, which had originally seemed so weak, were practically scorching her now. Maybe it was because the leaves of the trees kept the heat down in the forest, or maybe she was just still unfit despite her horrible physical training, but whatever the reason was she couldn't stop herself from drinking water. He passed the flask back to her, watching disapprovingly as she took one final swig from the bottle. Wiping her mouth, she screwed the cap back on tightly, shaking the flask herself – the sounds of sloshing were very faint now, and she knew he was right about her running out of water soon. "And I asked, because from what I remember, we've walked past that exact same tree," she indicated the strangely deformed tree in the distance, "at least five times already. Are we just walking in circles?"

He looked at the tree she indicated as she spoke, then laughed softly, shaking his head. He seemed almost condescending, much to her annoyance. "I know the five trees you're talking about. They all look the same to the unobservant eye, but the branches are all bent at different angles and places if you look really closely. We're getting close to the Red Indian territory already, Miku. If you failed to notice while you were busy draining your flask of the only water you have, the undergrowth is thinning. It won't be much longer before we make our way out of the forest entirely. But that," his expression turned grim, "is when we will have to be careful. In the forest, we are hidden, and we cannot be caught. Out in the plains, we are exposed and vulnerable. Utmost caution will be needed when we travel there."

She understood. Looking around, she observed that what Len said was true – that the undergrowth now really was less dense than what it was like right outside their den. However, she wasn't going to admit that she had not noticed that until he pointed it out. "I knew that," she said snappishly, the heat and thirst making her a little more forceful than she usually was. The Miku who was safely tucked away in the den would not snap at Len for anything, not until she was pushed past her boundaries. Here she was tired, thirsty and hungry, and if Len was right they had only travelled for less than an hour. She wasn't sure how she would last the entire trip, but she would try her best.

"Yes, I'm sure you knew that right from the start," Len's tone was as neutral as always, which just served to annoy her even more, for some reason. It had to be the heat. "That was probably why you asked me if we were walking in circles, isn't it?" he paused for a moment to allow those words to sink in, before he whipped around and continued trekking through the forest, allowing her to stew in her own shame and embarrassment. She would just keep her mouth shut and trust him from now on, she resolved – though it was hard for her to trust and believe blindly, the same way the other Lost Boys did. The others idolised Len. But she knew that no matter what, he was a person too, someone who could make mistakes. He was not as flawless and pure as the Lost Boys believed him to be.

"You know," she started, following up on her thoughts, "I actually wonder, what will you do if the Lost Boys ever figured out the truth? That you're not some omniscient leader who knows about everything that happens in Neverland. That they were originally meant to die, and you were never a saviour. How will they react to knowing that? What do you think you'll do?" she couldn't help but be curious, and she knew she could ask – she knew she was the only one he could confide to, if he even wanted to confide at all, because she was the only person in the den who knew the truth about him.

He did not stop or turn back, but his steps did slow a little, as though he was thinking hard and could no longer focus solely on placing one foot before the other. "I don't know," he answered, voice a little softer than it was earlier. "But what I feel is that they are already…wondering. Ever since you showed up, and all these things happened…and that girl, the girl none of us know anything about!" the sudden agitation that rang through his words startled her. It was the first time she heard him sound anything other than calm and rational. "I know so little about whatever is going on right now. And they all expect me to know the truth about everything, to guide them to safety so we can last another year out in the wilderness. They know I _don't_ know everything, and that…that frightens me, I can't possibly deny that. For someone who is so used to knowing everything…" his shoulders hunched slightly, a defensive position visible from behind. "For someone who is so used to knowing everything," he repeated, "learning something you don't understand is the worst kind of fear."

"We all learn things, we all go through a stage where we know nothing," it was a truth she knew the whole time she was growing up. She was the opposite of him, in fact. If Len claimed that he was used to knowing everything, then she could claim she was used to knowing absolutely nothing. But that did not stop her from trying to find out more. Knowing nothing did not mean that she would stay that way forever. "Why else do you think I ask so many questions? Sure, it's embarrassing to admit that you don't know anything, and you might lose the trust of those who believe in you if you reveal your sudden ignorance – but isn't it better to ask and know, than to keep quiet and be left forever in the dark?" she shuddered despite the warmth. "Because the dark is not a nice place to be…"

"No," he laughed, and it sounded more like a short bark than an actual sign of humour. "The dark isn't a nice place to be at all. You would know, wouldn't you? The girl who is always surrounded by shadows and darkness – the supposedly mad girl who looked down into the deepest recesses of humanity's black heart, the girl who saw the worst of her _mother_ , but came out still knowing nothing. What do you think is more frightening, Miku?" his voice became contemplative now. "The darkness itself, the black which represents the unknown? Or the darkness that stains your heart after you enter the unknown and realise that you will never find out the truth? Because sometimes, I wonder if I can ever find out the truth."

Why was everyone suddenly becoming depressed in front of her? Though honestly, Len becoming moody wasn't much of a surprise. He always had a rather brooding air around him. Gumo had been the bigger surprise, and it actually worried her a little because that was most definitely not normal Gumo behaviour. She pushed those thoughts aside and focused on Len, because she doubted he would be able to lead them safely to the Red Indian camp if he was busy wallowing in his own misery. Bringing up the issue of the unknown and the dark masters had clearly been a bad idea.

"The truth is there for those who seek it. That is what I believe, and why I persevere. I know what it's like to know nothing. And I'd rather ask questions and know things that would be better not to know, than to be kept in such a state of blindness again," hopefully, her feelings would get through to him and he would finally tell her all the things she wanted to know about the Lost Boys. "What I do when I feel overwhelmed," she suggested when her words failed to rouse any sort of response, "is that I pretend it's all a dream. It seems more manageable if everything is a dream. You can control your surroundings – you can change anything about a dream, even the truth. And in the dream world, you truly are omniscient. So I like to convince myself sometimes that everything which overwhelms me is all…just a dream."

At least, that was her escape in the years she was growing up with her drunkard mother and strict grandfather. Maybe that was why everyone thought her mad – because of her inability, when she was little, to separate the dreams from reality – to separate the tangible shadows that surrounded her from the intangible realities of life. Len laughed again, a little more genuinely than earlier, and she sighed, somewhat relieved that at least he was no longer sounding as miserable as he did before this. She wondered how much pressure was being placed on him, how terrible he had to feel, to suddenly just let all the words come pouring out like that – not to Rei, not to Piko, but to her, the Lost Child he knew the least.

"A dream, huh?" he muttered. "That sounds good, pretending it's a dream. A form of escapism, but a nice plan nevertheless," he turned to look at her, blue eyes filled with rare humour. "Sometimes, I wonder if Neverland is a dream. If you're a dream, they're a dream…if I'm a dream myself, even. Must be nice, living in a dream," he fell silent after that, and they continued their trek through the gradually thinning forest with neither of them saying another word. But the silence felt more relaxed to her, since she now knew they were actually moving and were not just stuck helplessly in the forest – and probably also because Len had let some load off his chest. But she hoped he would not remain in his dreams like she suggested forever, because she knew the repercussions of existing in one's dreams. She had lived through that.

And no matter what, no matter how pleasant a dream was, it would only be a matter of time before it morphed into a nightmare. Reality, no matter how harsh, was always better than living in a nightmare.


	22. Chapter 22

"Don't tell me we've only been travelling an hour. That did not feel like an hour," Miku gasped behind him, clearly tired and irritable. Len simply ignored her – he was feeling cranky enough too.

They had finally made it out of the forest. It had taken them almost three hours of non-stop travelling – and that was just the easy part. Because now they were out in the plains, the midday sun was beating down upon them with a vengeance and there was absolutely no shelter in sight.

Granted, Miku was not an incessant complainer. He could hear her muttering oaths and various curse words – no doubt picked up from Nero while he was angry – whenever she tripped over a groove in the ground or otherwise interrupted her relatively smooth journey. And she did make the occasional grumble about how hot the sun was, but that was about it. He just couldn't be bothered to answer her complaints because he felt exactly the same way she did, and openly talking about how miserable they were was not going to help matters at all. He felt tired enough without talking.

One reason why he was so tired was because he had to save Miku from danger twice already, so far during their journey. The first time was when she found a stream to refill her bottle. He was waiting a little distance away, watching her as she knelt on the ground and dunked her flask into the stream – after all, how dangerous could collecting fresh water be? But that was until he saw the snake swimming leisurely along the stream, headed right in Miku's direction. Obviously, she didn't notice, and he had to rush over and yank her away from the water's edge within the five seconds it would have taken for the snake to reach her. And after that, he gave her a lecture on being observant.

The second time she got her life in danger was when they were walking along the path, right at the very edge of the plains. He figured that since they were nearly out of the forest, she probably wouldn't face any more danger from the forest itself. But just as he finished thinking that, he heard a familiar, low moan and whipped around – right behind Miku, a tree was starting to lean towards her, and as Miku continued staring at the ground and trudging determinedly towards him, the tree began to pick up speed. He quickly ran forward and pulled her out of the way just a few seconds before the tree fell on her, and she stared at the fallen trunk which had almost crushed her. For a while, she simply clung on to him and said nothing, the two of them just gaping at the tree in utter shock.

She truly was a magnet for ill fortune. It wasn't like he knew from the start that she had such bad luck, but if he had he would never have brought her to Neverland. Or maybe he should have just left her in the den, like Gumo and Nero wanted. He could handle anything her luck threw his way – he had lived for six centuries, and he had plenty of time to learn how to handle most of the dangers of Neverland. He was just worried that he might not be able to save her in time. The first two times she was in danger, he could save her because he caught on early. He might not be able to save her a third time, and Len didn't want any of his Lost Children to die, especially not right in front of him.

He glanced up at the blue skies of Neverland. He rarely saw the daytime sky – it looked so serene and tranquil, the light blue sky with its splattering of white, fluffy clouds. The sun shone from above, the rays much stronger now that they were out of the forest – nowhere near as bright as the sun on Earth, but enough to make him perspire. They were carving a way out through the long grasses of the plains, and he wondered whether eagle-eyed border guards had already seen them, and were simply waiting for the best moment to strike. He was the leader of the Lost Boys and the oldest person in Neverland, so no one dared to attack him upon sight, but if he did anything which made it seem like he was in their territory with hostile intentions, he would be shot down immediately.

The tall grasses rustled in the wind, making a whispery sound all around them. He would be more enchanted by the scenery if he had not seen it so many times before – the tall, dry golden grass rippling in quiet waves, stretching out as far as the eye could see. But beauty had its dangers – snakes in the grass, prowling coyotes pressing themselves low against the ground so that they wouldn't be seen until it was too late. And the wind hid the low moans of the walking dead and carried away the putrid, sickly sweet scent of decaying flesh. Yes, beauty could be as dangerous as it was enchanting.

"We will be there soon. If we aren't past the Lost Valley of Souls by evening, then we'll make camp and rest for the night," he glanced at her. She was huffing and puffing away, obviously unused to tramping along for such a long period of time. "It would be dangerous to go any further at night if we aren't already past the valley," he added for her benefit, since she would probably want to know why he didn't want to press on. He always pressed on where he could, but not at the expense of the lives of others. Miku couldn't see as well in the dark as he could, and that was a stark disadvantage.

"Yeah, the zombies will eat us, won't they?" she grumbled, clearly more focused on moving than on what she was saying. He nodded wordlessly and turned back to face the front, squinting into the distance to see if there was anything there. The plains stretched on for miles, and if he didn't know better he would say that he had entered an entirely different world from where he normally stayed – but no, they were still in Neverland, and they were still trapped here without any possible escape.

"The zombies will eat us," he echoed, stopping and holding out his arm behind him – she walked right into his arm, cursing quietly as the impact knocked the breath out of her. "I think I heard something," he hissed, listening closely again. The wind had stopped for a moment, and the grasses were no longer swaying – but he could still make out the tell-tale sound of rustling, and knew that there was something hiding in the grasses around them. But who or what, and where? And what did they want? He peered around, Miku doing the same, trying to spot anything that seemed unusual.

A few moments later, just as the wind resumed and the grasses continued to sway, he saw a flash of cherry pink, and instantly narrowed down his options. He knew it wasn't an animal, at least. "Who goes there?" he called, and the little glimpse of pink seemed to move, almost in a fluster. "I know you're there, Red Indian, and I guess you've been following me for a while. Show yourself," he added sternly, and a few seconds later, the person hiding in the tall grass rose, brushing herself down.

His first thought was that their stalker was Megurine Luka herself. But no, it couldn't be – Luka did not have that same pink curl of hair that stuck out so blatantly on top of her head. It was that curl which had led to him spotting this girl to begin with. Besides, Luka had blue eyes, not red. "Who are you?" he asked, eyes narrowing at the stranger. He knew she was a Red Indian – she had the typical tribal attire of a squaw, with a headband of feathers and stones on her forehead and the red tribal paint on her cheeks. She also held a bow and had a quiver full of arrows slung around her back – the bow she picked up from the ground beside her while she was rising from the grass. But he had never seen this girl during the Hunt before, which meant she was probably still too young to participate.

"Furukawa Miki," she answered proudly, tilting her chin as she spoke. "Cousin of Tiger Lily! And you are trespassing on our territory," she continued defiantly, glaring right at him with her arms folded across her chest. She was definitely still young, perhaps no older than fifteen – she was also rather petite, her bow alone being more than half her height. It was an impressive weapon, however.

"I am on business here," he replied, more amused than intimidated. Miku peeked out from behind him, and the Red Indian glanced at her, clearly deeming her to be a lesser threat than Len himself – a keen and accurate observation. "I need to speak to your soothsayer, Silver Winds. There is a great evil afoot in my territory, and only she will be able to give me the guidance that I desire."

The girl's red eyes narrowed. "Silver Winds?" she placed one finger against her chin, tapping lightly as she went through the motions of thinking. "You see, I'm on border guard duty today, and Luka gave me _really strict_ instructions to shoot any trespassers on sight. I think she's in a bad mood today. So no can do, I'm afraid you're going to have to turn back! You can try tomorrow," she shrugged. "I'm already being very nice to you by not shooting you, you should really leave while I'm feeling generous," she beamed, clearly satisfied with herself. Len twitched – he was not going to turn back after walking for three hours straight, and he definitely would not be turned away by a little girl.

"Listen to me, child," he hissed, tone becoming a lot darker than it usually was – he could feel Miku tense behind him at the difference. "I am on urgent business here, and Luka fears and respects me as much as she does her father. Do you listen to Tiger Lily or the Panther?" he questioned, and the girl fell back in astonishment, clearly not having expected him to behave in such a hostile manner.

"The…the Panther of course," she stammered, grip on her bow tightening. Miku thought she was almost pitiful, this poor child assigned to border duty. She wouldn't want to face an angry Len if she was a border guard either, no matter how old she was at the time. "But you don't understand!" her voice took on a bit of a whine now. "Luka is scary! If I don't listen to her orders she'll throw me into the plains with the wolves and make me survive by myself for a week! I'm _scared_ of being away from the camp," she sniffled, and Miku felt even sorrier for her. "The last time I strayed too close to the Lost Valley of Souls and I could hear the moans and smell the decay. I don't want to be punished!"

"Trust me, Miki," Len sounded almost understanding now, but Miku could guess that he probably wasn't going to start empathising with the girl any time soon, "if you don't let me pass and visit Silver Winds, you're going to suffer from something a lot worse than the Lost Valley of Souls – even worse than Megurine Luka, if you fear her more," Miki narrowed her vivid red eyes, trying to decide if she ought to believe Len or not. "I'm Kagamine Len, leader of the Lost Boys. You probably don't know me since you're so young," Len continued, tone conversational. Miki flinched at the name.

"Kagamine Len…" she gnawed nervously on her lower lip, bow still tightly in hand. Miku wondered if she was tempted to use her bow and arrow and shoot them right at that very instant. "I did hear Silver Winds say something about expecting a visit," she finally admitted, "though she never said when and who. Maybe you're who she's talking about. And Silver Wind's words bear greater importance than Tiger Lily's even…" she shook her head. "All right, I'll let you pass!" she raised her voice, looking at them steadily. She no longer seemed afraid. "But I will have to follow you since I am the border guard – I'll need to explain to the camp guards who you are and what your intentions are. And we must leave soon," she added, glancing up at the afternoon sky. "Silver Winds has been rather sick lately, and we're all afraid that she might not last much longer. She is so old already…"

"That's fine by me," Len agreed amiably, and so the three of them went on their way. Miku felt a little more reassured now that one of the Red Indians was with them – not that she had not trusted Len to know the way, but with someone who was actually native to this territory tagging along with them, she was absolutely certain they would not get lost. Of course, she wondered if this Miki would attempt to lead them into some Red Indian trap, but she told herself that couldn't happen – this girl was so young, so obviously younger than Miku. She couldn't possibly have made any kind of trap.

"You patrol the border alone?" Len asked Miki now, catching Miku's attention. Miki, who was walking beside her and Len, shrugged at the question. Len simply waited, and it was so blatantly obvious that he was awaiting her response that she finally sighed and turned towards them.

"Yes, I do, all of the border guards patrol the edges alone. We can't spare that many people to make the three day trip all the way to the border," she poked at the grass ahead of her with her bow, checking that there were no poisonous snakes hiding there. "We have a rotational schedule. When it's my turn to go back another guard from a nearby area takes over my position, and another guard goes to his, and so on. There's always someone available. I've been away from camp for a week already, fulfilling my rotational duty for the month," she yawned. "It'd be good to see everyone again! Maybe not so good for you though," she added with a sidelong glance at Miku and Len, "Tiger Lily has been in a foul mood for a long time, ever since she lost the Hunt to the Lost Boys again. And she takes a really long time to lighten up so I guess she's still mad. You might want to avoid her."

"Trust me, I know so many of Tiger Lily's secrets that she won't dare to chase me out," Len's voice was grim, and it made Miku wonder exactly what sort of secrets he knew. Miki simply nodded, as though a stranger knowing her princess and leader's secrets was not in the least unexpected.

"Well, you're Kagamine Len," Miki said with yet another sidelong glance at them. She whacked the ground ahead with her large bow, flattening a whole clump of golden grass. "You've been around for a while, haven't you? Not surprising that you know Tiger Lily's dirty secrets. Not that she has that many," Miki shrugged. "She has a habit of yelling out her various fetishes and secret desires when she's leading us into battle. You'd think she would be more concerned, being the princess of the tribe and the leader of war and everything, but she just doesn't care. I almost admire her for that."

"Battle?" Miku piped up without thinking. Miki turned back to look at her, expression curious, and Miku instantly realised that she had spoken out of turn – the whole time they were travelling so far, Miki had largely ignored her, clearly fixated on Len since he appeared to be more dangerous. Or perhaps just more attractive. Miku didn't mind being ignored by the squaw, since their conversation so far was pretty interesting. She was getting to know more about the Red Indians of Neverland.

"Yes, battles," Miki spoke. "We used to fight with the pirates a lot…they liked to kidnap our women and make them birth their children. They didn't have enough women back then, you see. But it's better now – enough that they refuse to accept any more refugees," Miki's youthful face twisted into something resembling a snarl. "Those refugees, sullying our pride and honour as a tribe…oh, if I could, I'd catch all of them and throw them down into the Valley myself!" abruptly, she quietened. "Except I can't. I don't dare to go near the place. The moans are enough to give me nightmares…"

Miku was rather shocked to hear such a young girl speak so vehemently about her people. She had thought that perhaps Miki would have more empathy for the plight of the refugees – after all, Miku would hate to be sacrificed and eaten just because she was old or weakened. "It's a tradition for them," Len murmured to her while Miki went further ahead, on the lookout for coyotes and wolves – in the distance, a coyote laughed. "In fact, it's almost an honour for them to be chosen. Death at the hands of the ancestors, they say. Anyone who runs away is considered a smear on their reputation for bravery and sacrifice. They don't do well with escapees. Once someone runs, they can never come back – all refugees give up their identity as Red Indian, and they become…they become lost."

He said it the same way she would describe someone dying, with something almost like reverence or perhaps grief. "Lost in Neverland? That sounds terrible," she walked alongside him, the afternoon sun not quite as hot as earlier. The bright orb in the sky was beginning its downward descent, and the air around them was slowly starting to cool. "I can't imagine they would survive that," she added, recalling what Gumo mentioned about the Lost Boys turning away the refugees. Len nodded.

"No one survives. At least, none that I know of," he frowned. "Your mysterious cloaked girl might actually be a survivor, though. I don't know, but I'm going to find out," his blue eyes were filled with cold determination. At that moment, Miki returned from where she stood, scanning the horizon for potential predators. She looked a little worried, which naturally worried Miku as well.

"No coyotes or wolves," the cherry haired girl reported, "but we need to take a different route. If we continue this way, we'll end up near the Lost Valley of Souls, which you should know isn't a place we want to be, especially not when night falls," she shuddered. "I'll take you around the Valley, there's a nice little strolling path we created just for ourselves and if we hurry along, we might be able to reach the base camp in two days instead of three!" she exclaimed, clearly satisfied with her plan.

Len, however, did not react as positively. "I am not wasting another two days going around the valley," he decided. "If we cut through the Valley, we'll be there by this evening. Why are we wasting time? We should push on while the sun is still up," he pointed out, stubbornly sticking by the plan he decided on earlier. But Miki shook her head frantically, obviously terrified at the very suggestion.

"Are you insane?" she cried out. "The Lost Valley of Souls is sacred ground to us! You want us to defile the burial grounds of the ancestors? Besides…" she shuddered noticeably, "the dead walk there," she said faintly, "the dead who are hungry for flesh and sustenance. If we travel through that valley, we will end up becoming their meals. And sorry, I'm not going to put myself through that."

Len's blue eyes flashed, and Miku knew instinctively that he wasn't going to take no for an answer – he would just bully Miki into agreeing with his plan, or he would leave her here entirely and go on by himself. "I need to see Silver Winds as soon as possible," he began, "and like you said, she is ill. If we tarry another two days, she might not be alive for me to confer with when we actually arrive at the camp. We are cutting through the Lost Valley of Souls, and that is the end of our discussion," his tone was hard. "If you are so worried, you may leave us here and continue back to your camp via your own way. Miku and I will be taking the shortcut through the Valley due to our urgent need."

"I can't just do that!" Miki practically exploded. "The camp guards will probably shoot you on sight if they see you without a border guard. Plus all the border guards will get into trouble with Tiger Lily if two strangers just walk into camp unaccompanied. I don't want to be the reason for everyone to get into trouble," she folded her arms once more and glared angrily at Len. He remained unruffled.

"The camp guards won't shoot _me_ , and you know it. Besides, they couldn't hit me even if they tried," Len said flippantly. "You, on the other hand, need to be with us a lot more than we need to be with you. Simply put, either you follow us into the Lost Valley of Souls or you take the long way back and prepare to face Tiger Lily when she asks how you managed to let us slip beneath your nose. Which option sounds preferable to you?" Miki was seething, and Miku didn't know quite what to do. Len simply smiled and waited for the Red Indian to come to a decision. Finally, Miki let out a growl.

"Fine! We'll do what you want!" she snapped. "But let me just tell you that the Lost Valley of Souls is exceptionally dangerous at this time of year. The twilight months are approaching and that means that the ancestors have not had flesh for almost a year. They're hungry, and that makes them even more sensitive to movement and the scent of flesh," Miki paused dramatically, then glanced at Miku. "I know you're capable of looking after yourself, Kagamine Len," she started, "but think about what you're putting _her_ through. It's never a good time to travel through the Lost Valley of Souls, but today would be an exceptionally bad time," she turned sharply away from them, clearly still sullen.

"Your words don't scare me," Len sighed. "I've been through the Valley more times than I care to recall, visiting the Red Indians and their beloved princess. And when your princess calls, how do you think Utatane Piko arrives at your camp so quickly? We know the way through the Valley. Maybe in the Valley, you should follow me instead of marching off so quickly ahead. Don't want you to get eaten now, do we?" his voice lilted, and she wondered why he seemed to enjoy mocking the girl so much. Miki did not respond, simply continuing on their way, and so she and Len followed her.

"Is she serious, though?" Miku prodded Len and asked in as low a voice as she could manage. Miki was still walking angrily ahead, so it was unlikely that the girl could hear her. Miki probably knew how to use her bow and arrows, if she was assigned to border duty by herself – why would someone so confident and assured be so scared of the Valley? The walking dead within had to be dangerous, and maybe Len was being too confident of his ability. Len just shrugged, and she held her tongue, deciding not to ask any further – maybe some things were best left unknown, like in this case.

The sun was starting to set now, the purple and pink skies overhead a rather familiar sight to her – in the forests, she could tell when the sun was setting but she rarely saw the sunset sky so clearly. The scenery reminded her of home. The journey was much less eventful than she was led to believe – all the talk of coyotes and wolves and poisonous snakes seemed so distant, like a fairy tale. Maybe it was just because they were accompanied by one of the Red Indians, but she didn't feel like these natural dangers were anywhere near them. She did hear, on occasion, the sound of wolves baying or coyotes laughing in the distance, but they never came close enough for her to actually see them.

She wasn't sure how far she had travelled with Len and Miki, but it was definitely a great distance already. When she looked back, she couldn't even see the forests anymore. She suddenly felt like a small speck in the middle of the great wilderness, surrounded on every side by tall, golden grass. "I don't think we should go any further," Miki suddenly stopped trudging ahead and turned around, facing them with one hand on her hip. The other hand was supporting her bow, which was slung across her back along with her quiver. "It's getting late. We won't be able to cross the Valley in time, and if we make camp there in the middle of the night…well, that's not the best idea," she drawled.

"Whatever you say," Len remarked pleasantly, so the three of them stopped and made camp for the night. It wasn't much of a camp – they didn't even have sleeping mats or anything, and Miku found the tall grass to be extremely itchy – but when Len saw how uncomfortable she appeared to be, he sighed and beckoned for her to come over to him. She did so warily, eyeing Miki as she crawled over to Len, who was sitting up and waiting for her. Miki was standing, gaze still scanning the horizon.

She wouldn't be surprised if Miki took the chance to move them or something in the middle of the night. She really didn't seem to want them to go anywhere near the Valley. Of course, Miku did understand that. If she took an Earth analogy, their going through the Lost Valley of Souls would be akin to three teenagers bumbling around an old cemetery, entirely disregarding the dead. Of course it would be very disrespectful. But Miku was more nervous for herself than for the dead, since at least back on Earth there was no risk of corpses clawing out from their graves and eating them. In this Lost Valley of Souls, that was entirely possible. She did not want to be eaten by zombies.

But if what Miki said about Silver Winds was true, then they didn't have much time to waste…Miku had seen a glimpse of the soothsayer at the Hunt, though it was only a very short glimpse. The Red Indian soothsayer really looked ancient, like a puff of wind would blow her wrinkled flesh into dust. She did not think that the woman would last very much longer, so it would be right to hurry. She sighed softly – it was just that she felt a little bad, putting Miki in such a spot, especially when it made perfect sense to avoid the Valley. Normally there was no way anyone could convince Miku to walk headfirst into a place filled with ambling, decaying corpses hungry for a bite of human flesh.

"Come here," Len said brusquely, grabbing her when she came close enough and pulling her towards him. She fell over with a yelp, though thankfully the dirt cushioned her fall. She raised her eyebrows, startled that she fell right on soft earth instead of yet another patch of itchy grass. "See, there isn't any grass here, so you should be able to get a decent night's sleep. But don't complain to me that the ground is hard," Len warned, "I won't be able to do anything about that, so you're on your own."

She nodded, patting the ground around her. The earth was loamy, not too sandy nor too muddy – it seemed like it would be somewhat comfortable, actually. "Thanks," she breathed, digging around the soil and piling it up to create a rough kind of pillow. Len nodded wordlessly, then looked up away from her, gaze fixed on Miki, who was still standing a little distance away from them. "Do you think she'll do anything to us?" she asked hesitantly. "In the middle of the night?" if even she had suspicions, then surely Len had doubts about Miki's willingness to follow their plans as well.

"Of course I suspect she's up to something," he didn't look away from Miki. "But what can we do now? It's not like we know her plans," he reached out absentmindedly, patting her on the head. She blinked, feeling his hand smooth her hair down. "Don't fret so much. You just need to get some rest so that you won't keep complaining about the travels tomorrow. I need you to keep your energy up, because if we need to run in the Valley I'm certainly not going to carry you," he took his hand away from her head, but she could still feel the imprint of his touch against her teal locks. "I'll stay up and watch in case she decides to do anything funny while you're sleeping. Leave it to me," he turned and grinned at her, his blue eyes darkening in the twilight. The colours of the evening sky were deepening, turning from purplish blue to almost black.

"You haven't gotten much sleep the past few days…" she began, propping herself up slightly on her elbow. "If we need to fight…will you be too tired?" she would offer to watch all night if she had to, since it would be worth sacrificing one night's worth of sleep to make sure that Len wouldn't be hurt while trying to save their lives. He just laughed quietly, turning back to stare at Miki again. She couldn't see his face so she had no idea what he was thinking. Maybe he thought she was silly. Or maybe he could just sense her upcoming suggestion and knew the reluctance that lingered behind the offer.

"Just sleep," he repeated. "You'll feel better in the morning. I'm the leader of the Lost Children. It's my job and responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of the Lost Children, not yours. You just have to rest well, and then you'll make my job easier. Is that understood, Miku?" after a moment of hesitation, she nodded wordlessly, though Len could not see her gesture. Then she went back down on the ground and curled up on her side, facing away from the blond haired boy. Though she was lying so close to him, she could not feel his body heat, which made her feel strangely alone.

It would be a cold night out in the plains, she could tell. She snuggled deeper into the ground, which wasn't as chilly as the air around them, and wondered if she should pull out some grasses and use them as a blanket. But she ultimately decided against doing that, fearing that she would rouse a slumbering snake, which was most definitely not something she wanted to achieve. She knew she had bad luck, so she didn't want to tempt Fate. Len would probably scream at her if she did anything stupid – besides, she remembered his warning, to never wander away from him without being given express permission beforehand. If she wanted to survive out here, it was best to follow his orders.

Never before did she think, the whole time she was growing up, that she would one day be sleeping on the bare ground with nothing but grass to keep her warm. She had never been an outdoors kind of person, and though she wasn't doing all this for recreational purposes, it did make her wonder what it was like to be a normal kid who went for camps and looked up at the stars at night before going to sleep. Neverland had many stars, more than she could recall seeing back on Earth, and it was a pretty sight, watching the little specks of silver as they slowly came out, one by one. Even out in the plains, where the sun seemed stronger than in the forest, the night came with a relentless speed and it didn't take long for the sky to go from the pretty orangey-pink hues of sunset to the deep velvet blue of night. The moon rose too, and it seemed to Miku almost like an old friend.

"You can relax, you know," she heard Miki say from somewhere high above her. "I'm not going to do anything. You're Kagamine Len, after all. I'd probably die before I managed to lay a single finger on you," there was a heavy, audible sigh, followed by the sound of someone chuckling – probably Len himself. "Makes me wonder, though. Why are you looking for Silver Winds? Is it because of the _kararehe_ your boy killed during the Hunt? I heard the elders talking about it. They say you're cursed now, cursed by the sacred beasts. I don't think even Silver Winds can help you if that's the case."

"I'm not looking for her help with the _kararehe_ ," Len answered quietly, but still audibly since she was practically next to him. They spoke as though they thought she was asleep. She was a little sad to be so excluded from the conversation – the whole day she felt like Miki hardly tried to talk to her at all – but she knew she couldn't contribute anything useful to what they were saying anyway, so she didn't speak up other than that one time where she asked about battles. She knew it was because she was weak – the Red Indian squaw seemed almost contemptuous when she looked at Miku, and she could tell that Miki deemed her to be practically unworthy of her attention. Of course, it stung to be so blatantly ignored, but again there wasn't anything she could do. She couldn't fight like Miki probably could, and she didn't have the wisdom and experience or _strength_ that Len possessed.

"Then what are you trespassing for?" Miki sounded a little hostile now. "You don't just waltz into our camp and say hello. Silver Winds is _dying_ , Kagamine, and we would really like for her to rest as much as possible. You barging in and talking to her just for your personal entertainment isn't really the best thing for her at the moment," Miki continued, the hostility never leaving her voice. Len laughed again, and it surprised her that he was still so placid. She would have taken offence at Miki's hostility by now, but Len simply sounded like he was patronising a child. Maybe that was all she really was to Len – a mere child, trying to act like an adult in front of someone who was noticeably older than herself.

"That is my business, and only Silver Winds has to know – she and anyone else whom she deems fit to listen," he replied calmly, and for a while there was nothing but the sound of the wind whispering through the grass. Miku waited for one of them to say something, heart thudding – she could feel it, she knew that there was more to come from this conversation. It couldn't just die like this, could it?

"Who's that girl?" Miki finally asked, and Miku realised with a jolt that the Red Indian had to be referring to her. "I've never seen her, and I'm sure I've seen all the Lost Boys before. New girl?" Miki sounded grudgingly curious, and Miku strained her ears, wondering what Len would say about her. For once, he had no immediate comeback, and the silence stretched on almost unbearably.

"New girl," Len finally agreed. "I'm taking her out to see the world, or what is left of Neverland anyway," he laughed, sounding bitter. "I fear she might die in the Valley. Even I am not skilled enough to protect two people at once. If she can run fast…oh, but she can run," he mused. "She has had plenty of experience with running, so outrunning the dead should be no problem for her."

"You know that you're sending her on a suicide mission, right?" Miki asked bluntly. Miku waited, tense, her heart drumming away rapidly in her chest. A suicide mission? "I see you didn't bring anything to distract the dead with…are you going to leave her there as a distraction while you make your way through the Valley? Because that's cruel, and I would call it almost sacrilegious. Only the chosen of the tribe are allowed to become sacrifices, you know – it's not something for you to decide," she sniffed, but Miku didn't care. She only focused on what the girl said – that Len might be using her as a decoy, and leave her to get eaten by the undead while he ran to safety. Was that true, did he really intend to use her that way? Maybe this was why she was chosen, out of all of them…

Len snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm the leader of the Lost Children. I never leave my own," he said with a cold finality that shut even Miki up. She felt slightly more reassured upon hearing that, but for the rest of the night, all she could think of was the ordeal that they would have to face tomorrow. The possibility Miki spoke of imprinted itself into her mind, and she couldn't stop herself from thinking of all the zombies she ever watched in the few movies she had ever seen – the shambling grey bodies with their mouths open in an incessant moan, arms outstretched, eyes blank, and always the putrid stink of death and decay. They would reach her, they would tear into her flesh…

That night, when she slept, she dreamt she was trapped in a small box underground. When she screamed, clawing away at the lid of the box with her nails, the ground started to vibrate, and she felt hope that she would be dug up and rescued. But when the lid of the box was lifted, she saw grey faces surrounding her, blank eyes with rotten flesh and outstretched arms, stiff with _rigor mortis_. She hastily clambered out of the box, which she now saw to be a coffin, and pushed her way out of the zombie horde, which had dug her up due to their attraction to movement and living flesh…

She turned back, and saw that at the freshly dug grave, there was a headstone. And engraved right there on the headstone was her name. Len was sitting casually on the headstone, looking at her expressionlessly. When she met his gaze, he suddenly smiled, and then he pointed right at her. The zombies abruptly sped up, becoming impossibly fast, and she soon felt dead cold fingers gripping her limbs and the incessant moans of the living dead driving her insane. When they bit her, her eyes flew open, and she found herself gasping for breath, hands outstretched and clawing at empty air.

As she lay there, Len and Miki asleep on either side of her, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, she heard it – in the almost constant wind, the lingering sound of a faint moan.


	23. Chapter 23

No, the zombies couldn't possibly be here, they weren't anywhere near the Valley…she had to be hallucinating, her subconscious fear maybe too much for her senses to handle.

But just as she managed to convince herself of that, she heard the moan in the wind once again, the low, grievous sound of a wounded beast. The second moan woke Len up – he shot up right next to her, though she could not make out his face in the darkness. "The corpses?" he muttered, more to himself than to her. "We're not near enough the Valley for us to hear them…which means…"

"I already told you," Miki's voice was clear and quiet, and it pierced through the night as sharp as an arrow. "The lost souls are _hungry_. It's been almost a year since they last had their flesh sacrifice, and they are especially sensitive to warmth and living bodies…this place isn't far enough to be safe."

"Then why didn't you say anything!" Len all but yelled, his voice a forceful whisper. "You _knew_ this, you knew it and you didn't say a single thing? How can they even get out of the Lost Valley of Souls to begin with? The sides of the valley are steep and they're dead, they can't possibly climb –"

Miki scrambled up quickly, too quickly for someone who had been just recently asleep. Perhaps she had been lying awake next to Miku the entire time… "There are so many bodies rotting and festering in the Valley," her voice was strange to Miku, flat and almost robotic. "What makes you think they can't make a living ladder…bodies piling up against bodies, making a slope for other bodies to crawl up?" another moan sounded, louder than the previous two. Miku could just barely make out Miki's smile in the moonlight. "If I were you, I'd run as fast as you can. They're coming. I was waiting for this to happen, you know – a test of your strength. Let's see your true prowess, Kagamine Len!"

As she was speaking, she backed away from them, her bow already in hand. Len sprang up from where he rested and lunged at her, but she turned and fled with unnatural speed and Len gave up on the chase after a while, unable to catch up with her. Miku hastily clambered up from the ground as well, the low moaning almost constant by now, though she still could not see the dead. "Come here!" Len's voice reached her from a great distance, and heeding his orders she began to run.

It was exceedingly difficult to push her way through the tall grass while maintaining her pace. She didn't know how Miki had managed, or even Len for that matter, because she felt like she was barely moving any faster than her usual walking speed. "Hurry up!" Len hissed when she was within reach, grabbing her arm and quickly pulling her along. She was forced to run a lot faster, though sometimes she stumbled and almost fell, pulling Len down with her. The moans seemed to be even louder…she wondered how far away, or how many there were, for her to be able to hear those inhuman sounds.

Then she smelled it, the pungent scent wafting over from afar. She gagged – the smell of rot, sickly sweet and nauseating. Len glanced back, fingers still latched onto her wrist as they ran, and whatever he saw made his grip on her tighten. "Don't look back," he warned her, voice calm and even despite their speed. She knew then that whatever was behind them was something she wouldn't want to see, so she swallowed and kept her gaze fixed firmly ahead. She could hear the low moans of whatever was chasing them, and thought that they moved too fast to be the undead…

She couldn't see where they were going in the darkness. She stumbled a few times, but Len's pull on her was so strong that she simply kept going, though she was sure she twisted her ankle over one particularly bad trip. But while they were escaping, the pain didn't come through. All she felt was panic and fear and the breaths that forced their way out of her mouth, harsh and quick. And always, always, the low, incessant moaning, just as how she imagined it to be, just like in her nightmare.

Suddenly, Len came to a stop, and she drew in deep breaths, the pain from her ankle starting to make itself felt. It wasn't too bad yet, but she thought it might hurt a lot more later on. "Crap," Len muttered, his palm slightly sweaty against hers – she was perspiring profusely, but he barely even worked up a sweat. It really was strange, but she didn't focus on that for now, more distracted by his muttering. "We're up against the lip of the Valley. I don't want to go down…but we don't have a choice, the other bodies are clustered on the other side of the valley anyway. If we run fast enough, we will probably be able to get away…" he yanked on her arm again, and she let out a sharp cry.

"My…my ankle…it's hurting," she panted, hand grasping her ankle tightly. It was throbbing, and she winced as the pain shot up from her ankle to her knees. "I don't think I can run much more, it'll give way before long…" a sudden moan interrupted her words, and instinctively she turned back, ignoring the warning Len said earlier. What she could see under the moonlight made her stare in horror.

Shambling bodies, grey in the light – though everything looked black and white and grey in the dark – and she could see that there were gaps in the bodies, places where the flesh had rotten and fallen from the corpse, revealing the white bare bones underneath. She couldn't see much more, since they were still a distance away – the wind, blowing towards them, made the walking corpses sound much closer than they really were. But again she could smell the putrid scent of decay, and she knew that those things shuffling towards them across the plains were anything but normal humans.

"Dammit, I told you not to look!" Len snapped, turning her face back towards him. Her mouth was still open in shock. "They came up from the upper right side of the valley. We're at the lower end, near the centre. We'll have to go down from here. But the sides are steep…and your ankle…" he hesitated, then suddenly he crouched down and waited for her. "Get on my back, I'll carry you. We don't have a choice, hurry up if you don't want to get eaten!" he raised his voice slightly when she flinched, and she clumsily clambered onto his back, wondering why he spoke so quietly though pent-up emotion was evident in his voice. The moment she settled herself, he grabbed onto her thighs and rose from the ground, and the very next second she felt them dropping through the air.

She couldn't help the small scream that came out at the unexpected jump, but he jerked her body upwards when she made that cry and she quickly hushed, somehow understanding that he didn't want her to be noisy. The freefall was over before long, and Len landed gracefully on a ledge along the valley wall. He kept this up, and she was reminded of the time he carried her down from the tree – he kept leaping down from ledge to ledge until they were finally back on solid ground, the top of the valley looming high up above them. The rock wall was very steep, the valley edge disappearing away into the mist that appeared when they were roughly halfway down into the valley.

"Don't make any noise," he hissed, almost inaudible in the darkness. The white mist around them was thick, and she could barely see in front of her. It was cold here. "There are still plenty of them stuck down here, and they can both hear well and sense body heat. We don't want to attract them." She nodded, and he started creeping carefully across the valley. She didn't know how he could move so confidently when they could barely see anything. He must have been through here many times before to be able to walk without stumbling at all. She shivered, arms wrapped tightly around his neck – he didn't complain that she was choking him, though she guessed it must be uncomfortable.

She didn't want to die here, and she knew Len would not just leave her to die here either, but this situation made her think of what Miki and Len were talking about earlier. She hadn't succeeded in convincing herself that Miki's deduction was completely false. "Loosen up, I can't breathe properly," Len suddenly spat out, his voice still very quiet, and she hastily shifted her arms so that they were underneath his collarbones rather than around his neck. Being here made her feel so blind.

Her ankle throbbed now that it was no longer bearing her weight, and she gritted her teeth, telling herself to bear the pain. If she cried out the zombies would catch them, and it would all be over. She had not seen a clear glimpse of them yet, but the shapes she could make out in the distance just now were quite clearly deformed, and she definitely didn't want to see them up close. Were all the zombies here like that, or did they have different stages of decomposition? They were all bald, she recalled that – bald monsters with their mouths open in a low moan and blank white eyes, shuffling slowly but steadily towards them. It was an image she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"How far away is the other side of the Valley?" she asked softly, keeping her voice low like Len. He stopped moving for a second and let go of her leg, raising three fingers in front of her face. "So three kilometres?" she whispered, to be certain. Since the others said that it look three days to travel around the Valley, then the circumference of the Valley had to be much longer than the diameter. She concluded that the Valley was probably oval shaped then, wide and oblong.

"No, thirty," Len said quietly, and she froze. Thirty? How were they supposed to travel thirty kilometres in this impenetrable mist – especially when there were zombies on their tail? "We'll make it, it's not that far," he was walking slowly, creeping actually, but she could feel him moving gradually faster and faster as he spoke. "All of us can run thirty kilometres in slightly under two hours usually, and as long as we keep running the zombies can't catch us. It's just that while carrying you…" his voice trailed away into silence. "Well, I'll try my best," he added.

She nodded, understanding what he meant – though of course she felt mildly ashamed, since he was basically implying she was a burden. But it wasn't like he was wrong. She was, her sprained ankle was a pain in both the literal and figurative sense, and even if she was capable of running on her own she would probably end up attracting the walking dead through sheer bad luck. Besides, Len said he could run thirty kilometres in less than two hours – she was absolutely certain she couldn't do the same.

The mist wrapped and twined around them, little tendrils of whitish grey that obscured all vision – the pervasive wisps got beneath her clothes, beneath her skin and froze her blood. It wasn't dead freezing here, just a lot cooler than outside the valley, but the temperature drop was enough to make her shiver slightly. She wrapped her arms tighter around Len, hoping that closer contact would warm her more. He glanced back at her, but didn't say anything, quickly returning his attention to navigating his way through the valley. She was awed by his ability to move through the thick mist that surrounded them. The mist was thick and syrupy, almost more like fog, though the mist wasn't really so bad that she would call it fog…not yet, at least. Hopefully the mist wouldn't thicken.

They travelled in absolute silence, the only sound being the sound of twigs and leaves crackling softly under Len's feet. It was a muted sound, almost inaudible, and she wouldn't even have noticed it if the surroundings weren't so deathly quiet. She could even hear herself breathing, and she could hear that strange high-pitched, whining sound that appeared whenever she was in a quiet place for too long. Occasionally she would hear faint whispers, and whenever that happened Len would tense and look around carefully, watching out for potential enemies. He only relaxed if they did not hear any sounds again after waiting at least ten seconds. It unnerved her, these whispers – she knew that with such a thick mist, to be able to hear anything other than themselves meant that the source of the sound was very close by. And if there was something here besides them…she shuddered.

Len was still moving in a very hesitant, careful way. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they jumped down into the Valley, but she was sure it had been at least ten minutes. Judging from the time that had passed and the way he was walking, she thought he might still be getting his bearings. That was strange though, since Miku was under the impression that Len was actually rather familiar with the area – at least, that was what she assumed given the way he and the Lost Boys talked about their travels and the dangers that lurked here. He sounded terribly experienced.

As though he read her thoughts, she felt the footsteps beneath her quicken. Slowly but steadily, Len progressed from a crawl to a walk, then to a slow jog, and then eventually he started to run outright, the leaves and twigs crackling much more audibly now. "Aren't you scared about attracting those things?" she whispered, the first words to break the silence between them in a while. Len glanced back at her again, a very brief glance, before he turned back to focus on the road. He shook his head.

"Even if they hear us now they won't catch up. They should all be clustered at the side of the valley where we first saw the other dead – they must have built a body wall or something, there's no other way that group could have gotten out otherwise. We're heading away from them, and just now I've gotten far away enough that we shouldn't run into any more of them…at least, I hope we don't," his tone was cautious, and that wasn't particularly reassuring. It was the best she had at the moment though, so she clung on to his words and hoped for the best. Len didn't even sound like he was running when he spoke – he sounded like he was speaking while slowly strolling – so she figured he had plenty of energy to get them out of any possible difficult situations. She could only trust his judgement now, even if she didn't wish to. It wasn't like she had any choice other than to believe.

The dull throb of her ankle was something she was becoming used to by now. Other than the silence between her and Len, it was the only other constant in her life at the moment, and that made it feel somewhat comforting. At least the throb in her ankle indicated she could feel pain, and that she was still alive. If they got caught by those walking undead, the pain in her ankle would be the least of her worries. She wondered if Len got tired, carrying her – she wondered what the limits of his stamina were. As of now it seemed like he was superhuman, capable of carrying out feats mere mortals could not achieve. But he was just a normal person, wasn't he? Someone who adapted to the harsh life of Neverland…not someone who was born different from everyone else? It made her think.

She didn't have much to do in this silence besides think, anyway. She thought of plenty of things. Of course, there was always the nagging worry that they would be caught by the zombies and be eaten in some terribly disgusting manner, but she also thought of the Lost Boys and how they were doing back in the den. She also found herself wondering about the shadows of her nightmares, and how they hadn't really shown up as much in Neverland – sometimes, occasionally, but it was getting rarer and rarer, for which she was glad. It was strange though, not being faced with the shadows of her mind every night – she had lived through that for so long that she was almost missing them.

And then sometimes, she thought about her mother. She wondered how the woman was doing, now that Miku was no longer at home with her. Did she miss her only daughter, or was she glad that she could now spend more time with her _normal_ children, the ones she taught at school? The latter was more probable, but she couldn't help but hope that her mother did, at least, worry about her. If the woman really despised her, then she wouldn't have cared for her for so long, surely…though her mother's ways of showing affection or attention were highly unconventional. Miku did wish she could be a normal child at times, a child whose father hadn't been killed in a car accident and hadn't been accused of keeping a mistress – and a mother who didn't become a drunkard or schoolteacher and instead just stayed home to care for her little one. And she certainly wished she hadn't went through the care of her strict grandfather, whose punishments only served to reinforce the darkness in her life and her nightmares. But wishing would get you nowhere. She knew that perfectly well.

All of a sudden, a moan rang through the mist, jolting her out of her thoughts. Len stopped running at once, and she could feel the tension coiled up within his body, preparing him for a fight. She gulped, knowing that if it really did boil down to a fight she would no doubt be more of a burden than of any help. She was suddenly very, very afraid, for while earlier they always heard low whispers and murmurs through the mist they had never made out a sound so explicitly before, and that meant the foul creature was probably standing somewhere very close to them. But where, exactly? The mist covered everything, and they were as good as blind. All she could rely on was her hearing, and she already knew that the zombies had much better hearing than them. She and Len were at a clear disadvantage here, and even despite Len's speed, she fretted. She wanted to help, but with her ankle so tender now, all she would be able to do was stand in one place and swing a dagger around.

Len took a slow, careful step away from the right, which was where the moan had come from. Again, there was another moan, but this time it issued from the left, where Len had stepped towards. This probably meant that they were surrounded, a notion that Miku was definitely displeased about. She wanted to ask Len about his plans, but didn't dare to make a sound – the zombies were already close to them, she didn't want to give them any means of pinpointing exactly where they were.

He had a plan, she hoped. Carefully, she unwrapped one arm from around his neck and placed it against the hilt of the dagger strapped to her hip, the leather unfamiliar but comforting. He turned to look at her again, but this time his gaze lingered, and she could make out the faintest frown on his face. Suddenly, he crouched down, dropping his hands from her thighs, and she landed with a muffled thump – the sound caused the moaning to start up again, and this time there was a lot more than just two of them. She winced – she had no idea what would be more frightening, seeing the walking dead or just hearing them and not knowing where they were. "Stay here," Len said brusquely, "I'll be right back. And use your knowledge with the dagger to survive for as long as you can – if you're in trouble and you really need help then shout, I'll try to save you if I'm not compromised myself. Is that understood?" she nodded quickly, and Len darted away into the mist.

Now that he was gone, the cold seemed to become even worse. She shivered, rubbing her fingertips together, constantly touching the hilt of her dagger for reassurance, knowing that she at least had something to defend herself with. If she looked up and squinted hard, she could see shapes moving through the mist some distance away, a light-footed figure that was surely Len and some other dark blobs that were…other things. She could hear moans that ended abruptly and the occasional muffled thump of something hitting the ground, and she winced each time she heard the sound of death because this was something she still wasn't used to, the idea of fighting and people dying…

But could people who were already dead die again? She saw Len dart out through the mist, light and nimble on his feet, while a greying hand stretched out after him – with a swipe that seemed almost casual, his dagger chopped the hand off, and the decaying limb dropped to the ground, fingers still moving and grasping at empty air. She shuddered, trying to avoid looking at the hand. Len moved back into the depths of the valley after that, and all she could see of him was his figure once more, weaving its way through the thick white mist. She could still hear the moans, but they were softer.

She hoped that she wouldn't have to use her dagger, but nevertheless prepared herself for the possibility. Given her kind of luck, one of the zombies would get past Len and shamble its way towards her, seeking human flesh. How did those zombies get here, though? Len said that all of them were clustered at the other side of the valley, so why were there so many lingering here, as though they were waiting for their arrival? The laughter of the cloaked girl suddenly pierced through her memory, and she shuddered – no, surely not. Surely it couldn't be that girl's doing…right?

If it was, then she and Len would have to take even more care. There was no telling what other tricks that girl had up her sleeve. Placing one hand on the cold hard ground, Miku shakily pushed herself up, hobbling slightly as she attempted to catch her balance and take her weight off her sprained ankle. If there was even the slightest chance she would be attacked, she wanted to face her attacker while standing, not flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water. With her other hand, she drew out her dagger, feeling the weight settle onto her palm – it still wasn't the extension of her body that Nero told her it ought to be, but she felt at least confident enough to do some damage. If the undead could even feel pain, of course. How was she supposed to kill something that was already dead? How was Len dealing with them, exactly? She wanted to see, but if she attempted to go anywhere near him she would probably be eaten by zombies, which was rather unappealing.

Just then, she heard a low moan ring out somewhere behind her. She tensed, turning slightly and peering through the mist – she couldn't see much, but she could see a small figure stumbling around in the distance, heading in her general direction. Was the commotion Len was making while getting rid of the zombies attracting the undead from the other side of the valley? She hoped not, because that would make things complicated for them, and she definitely did not want to die now.

She readied herself for the monster's approach, its incessant moaning ringing in her ears and making her cringe. After today, she would never hear anyone moan again without thinking back to the horrors of the valley. At least she hadn't seen anything too graphic yet, though the image of Len cutting off a dead hand was scarring enough in itself. She told herself that she wouldn't be doing anything bad by killing these beasts since they _weren't_ human and they wanted to eat her, but their humanoid shapes still made the thought of stabbing them a little…well, she wasn't looking forward to it; that was for certain. The distant figure was steadily crawling towards her, and she exhaled, waiting in nervous anticipation. It was slow, she would probably have no trouble getting rid of it.

She was facing the shape, watching it stumble its way inevitably to her, tension coiled up within her limbs. A current of energy seemed to run from the tip of her dagger to her hand, and she was almost excited about facing the thing, momentarily distracted from her ankle. It was the first time she would do anything like this, and it seemed easy to deal with these beings, given how the zombies were so slow and clumsy…but then she felt something cold and hard close around her arm.

She yelped, whipping around – there was someone holding on to her arm, someone with a vacant stare and a wide open mouth, with yellow, serrated teeth fixed in its giant gaping maw. Its skin was grey and rotting, patches of flesh and skin falling off as it moved, and most of all it _stank_ – it smelled like death and decay. Its touch was cold and dry, but unbreakably firm. She tried to jerk her arm free, panicking because the arm the zombie was holding was the one holding her weapon. Its grip was unbelievably strong though, and she couldn't shake it off – no matter how hard she tried, its mouth got closer and closer to her skin. She tried to kick it with her good leg, but her ankle collapsed beneath her and she stumbled to the ground, the zombie falling with her.

"Get off," she grunted, finding it easier to squirm on the ground and kick at the zombie now that she didn't have to balance on her feet. The zombie was stubborn though, even with her foot pushing at its forehead – though its neck was tilted so far back that she was sure it was on the verge of breaking, the foul thing was still trying to get to her arm, which had not managed to break free during the fall. She dropped the dagger from her trapped hand, certain the zombie was too stupid to pick it up, and tried to reach over with her other hand so she would be able to use it against the monster.

Her fingertips just barely managed to graze against the hilt of her dagger, and she dragged it a little closer, allowing her to pick it up. At the same time, she felt something cold and slimy drip on her trapped arm, and realised the zombie was starting to win against her foot. She shuddered at the thought of its saliva on her skin and grabbed the dagger, swinging it wildly out at the zombie. She managed to cut off its ear, much to her own surprise, but the zombie didn't seem to react at all – it was as if it couldn't feel pain. Oh, but it was dead, so it probably really couldn't feel anything.

She wanted to gag at the sight of the grey ear on the ground, festering in some parts. The stink was foul, which didn't make things any better. She stabbed wildly over and over again, the metal blade successfully striking on occasion, sinking deep into skin, but the zombie never reacted at all. Her attacks certainly slowed it down from biting into her arm, but her main problem was still here – there was still a monster holding tightly onto her arm and attempting to eat her.

She heard another moan coming from behind her and wanted to groan – the other zombie she saw earlier must have arrived. She was surprised she had lasted this long against one zombie, but two zombies…these were odds that would be impossible for her. She was going to need help. She hadn't wanted to scream earlier because she was scared it would attract all the other zombies to her, but if she didn't get Len to rescue her now then she was as good as dead. At least, she hoped he would come back and save her. The doubt planted by Miki reared its head again, eager and waiting, but she suppressed the worries and opened her mouth, screaming her leader's name as loudly as she could.

As she screamed, she continued pushing the zombie away with her foot, though she was getting tired and wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up. The zombie seemed to have an inexhaustible pool of strength, and as she struggled with one beast, the other came closer, diving down towards her – reflexively, she swung her arm out in the other zombie's direction and, through sheer luck, managed to stick her dagger in the zombie's wide open mouth. The zombie tried to gnash its teeth, too stupid to realise that the weapon in its mouth was injuring it, and as it moved its teeth and tongue she saw the dagger cutting deep into its mouth, cutting out pieces of tongue and gum, the greyish lumps falling out onto the ground. It made her gag, but she was confident that this zombie was at least, for the moment, not a problem – while the first one still was.

Desperate now that she had lost her weapon, she turned towards the first zombie and tried to punch it with her free hand. She immediately recoiled upon making contact – the skin was cold and papery dry, but underneath its seemingly fragile skin the zombie was nothing but solid hard bone, and she was pretty sure that hitting it would hurt herself more than it would hurt the monster. Gritting her teeth, she shoved at the zombie's head with her foot again, feeling a little sick at the sight of the gnashing yellow teeth and the saliva dripping from its mouth in excessive quantity.

Suddenly, she felt the dry skin underneath her foot disappear, and the zombie's grip on her arm was broken. She looked up in shock, and there was Len, cold anger on his face as he hauled the zombie away from her and threw the flailing body down on the ground. Before the zombie had a chance to clamber to its feet, Len placed one foot on its chest, forcing it down back onto the ground. Quickly, he crouched down towards the moaning zombie and, with one swipe of his knife, cut clean through the zombie's neck, the head rolling away from the body as the arms and legs continued to flail. She watched, feeling a mixture of awe and disgust, unable to believe that anything could continue moving without a head – the head itself was still gnashing its teeth, trying to get towards her. But as she watched, the frenzied movements started to slow, and eventually both the head and body stopped moving completely. Len wiped his knife against the packed dirt ground and glanced at her.

"You managed to hold it off quite well, didn't you?" his tone was so neutral and calm that she was unsure if he was being serious or sarcastic. She most certainly hadn't been in the best state when he found her. "I'm glad you didn't get eaten. Come on, I managed to get rid of most of the zombies but with all this commotion, we're bound to attract the remaining few still lurking around this area. Let's get moving. Go get your dagger back," he glanced behind her at the other zombie, and she took a look too – the sight which met her eyes made her recoil in disgust. The upwards gnashing movement of the mouth had made the dagger rise through the zombie's head, and the metal blade had cut a gory line through the centre of its face, ending somewhere above the zombie's nose. The face was split quite cleanly into half, and she was quite sure that bits of grey matter were starting to slip out of the wound, staining the knife. The stink was terrible. She reached towards her knife, hesitant about touching the beast – it had stopped moving already, but she didn't want to go near it nonetheless – however, Len stepped before her and retrieved the knife for her, cleaning it on the ground too before passing the dagger back to her. She held it tightly, glad but also secretly amazed to still be alive.

Len crouched down to carry her up again, piggybacking her the same way he did earlier, and she settled into a comfortable position, wincing as she accidentally pressed her sprained ankle against his back. Her ankle was hurting worse than ever, and if she didn't treat it soon it would swell up badly and she wouldn't be able to stand anymore, let alone walk. "To kill a zombie, cut off its head," Len said matter-of-factly as he started picking his way through the valley once more. "I don't know why it works, but it is the only way you can kill them. They can't feel pain…but as you just saw they don't die immediately even after cutting their heads off, so stay clear of them till they stop moving."

She leant her cheek against his back, exhausted by what she just went through. Her arms were limp around his shoulders. "If zombies feed on human flesh, then how are new zombies made? I'm sure there are always new zombies right? Otherwise there wouldn't be so many of them. Yet if they eat people completely then how are the new zombies created?" she asked, looking around into the white mist surrounding them. There were no hidden figures and no low, distant moaning, so for once she felt relatively safe. Len too seemed to be less careful about making his way through the valley – though she supposed that if the zombies already knew where they were, there was no more point in being stealthy. Len didn't answer her question for a while, and as time passed by she almost forgot that she even asked the question. The scenery never changed, and it numbed her mind.

Then he spoke. "They don't eat every person entirely. If there is enough of someone left behind to function – say, he has some limbs that are still joined together with his head…well, in all honesty a head connected to a torso could revive and become a zombie, though that would be quite a useless zombie. But a head by itself won't revive. I'm sure there's a bunch of legless or armless zombies shambling around, starving because they are at a disadvantage compared to their other brethren. But that's not my problem. It's just a concern for us then because they're the hungrier ones."

She nodded in understanding, and he sighed, shifting her up his back to a more comfortable position. "I guess we're not far from the lip of the valley now. And you're probably tired, so why don't you rest and recover from your ordeal? I'll wake you up when we get to the other side," he sounded firm but gentler than she was used to, and she accepted his offer of rest gladly. Her eyes closed and her head lolled against his shoulders, and she gladly gave in to oblivion.


	24. Chapter 24

She woke up to find herself lying on the ground, and her ankle throbbed painfully as she shifted, trying to see where she was and where Len was. Sitting up, she looked around – she was clearly not in the valley anymore since there was no more cold mist, and she could see the ground around her, a light brown with little pebbles and rocks strewn across the sandy floor.

But where was Len? She looked around quickly, heartbeat speeding up in panic, but she couldn't see him anywhere. She tried to clamber to her feet, pushing herself up off the ground, but her ankle screamed in pain and she collapsed, panting a little. She looked around in terror, afraid that Len had abandoned her out here in the open wilderness, practically unable to walk because of her ankle.

She looked around to try and figure out where exactly she was. She was pretty sure they were on the other side of the valley, but she had no idea how far from the valley edge they were. Gingerly now, she shifted and pushed herself up while keeping her leg as still as possible, so that finally she wasn't just lying prone on the sandy ground. There was faint watery sunlight bathing her, something she was glad about after having experienced the horrors of last night and the zombies in the mist.

She paused at that thought. How had she managed to see the zombies and everything which happened in the valley if they had travelled there in the dead of the night? She vividly recalled seeing zombies chasing them in the light of the moon, meaning they had been travelling at night. Her nocturnal vision must have improved a great deal more than she thought. The momentary distraction faded as she realised that, even after all this wondering, Len was still nowhere nearby.

No, she couldn't just lie here and be useless as always. She wasn't in their territory anymore, where even if Len wasn't around the four Lost Boys were. She would go and find Len herself – maybe he had slipped down a cliff and hit his head or something. She tried to shake off the idea that he had left her here to die – if he didn't want to bring her along he would have just dumped her in the Lost Valley of Souls. Gritting her teeth against the throbbing of her ankle, she shifted her leg around, slowly placing her weight on her unhurt left ankle. Twisting her right leg so that she could lean on her knee while getting up, she grunted as she pushed herself up, flailing her right arm as she found her balance and struggled to maintain it. But at least she was up and no longer just flopping around.

She was panting harder now, and she reached up to wipe away a few tears which had leaked out past her scrunched up eyelids. She made sure to keep her weight on her good leg, keeping a hand over her eyes as she scanned the landscape around her. Unlike the tall wavy grasses of the lands before the Valley, here the dusty plains stretched for miles. The sun wasn't so hot that it felt unbearable, but she could feel herself perspiring a little. It was decidedly hotter here and now than it was yesterday during their travels. The barren lands made her feel so tiny, just a small dark speck against the ever-lasting brown reaches of the Red Indian territory. Maybe the braves and squaws were watching her right now, waiting for the right moment to shoot – she wouldn't know.

It was a frightening thought. She swallowed nervously – her throat was dry, and she felt at her hip for the little flask of water she had brought along – the pocket next to her dagger was empty, and she groaned. She must have dropped it sometime in the valley when she was struggling against the zombies. Well, at least she was just thirsty and not dead. Hopefully she would be able to make it to the Red Indian camp and find some water to drink, if they didn't kill her first. She might even run into Miki, the girl who betrayed them…she frowned. Actually, she wondered why Miki had done that to them. She must have known she was facing danger herself, leading them into such an ambush – besides, didn't she say that she would get in trouble if strangers entered the camp without an escort? Well, perhaps she was thinking that Miku and Len wouldn't make it out of the ambush alive.

If that was the case, then she clearly thought wrong. Even she was alive, though not completely well. With a soft grunt, she attempted to hobble forward, and found that as long as she dragged her right foot behind her and placed most of her weight on her good leg, she could move forward, albeit at a torturously slow rate. Luckily there wasn't any tall grass here – she couldn't even begin to imagine how she would cut through the grass with her ankle being a hindrance. Sighing, she resolved to at least find some shade she could rest in when the night came – she definitely didn't want to be out in the open when darkness fell and she was stranded completely alone in an unfamiliar place.

Or should she find Len first? She hesitated – taking another look around the wide open plains, she could see absolutely nothing, not even a dark speck in the distance. She twisted back to take a look behind her, and saw a sudden drop a distance away – that had to be the lip of the valley. A small shiver ran down her back at the sight, and she felt lucky that she didn't get eaten in the middle of the night. It was highly doubtful that Len had gone back into the Valley, so where could he be? Was he already at the Red Indian campsite, waiting for her? Then why did he just leave her alone here?

She decided she had asked herself enough questions and that she should get moving. Determinedly, she continued to struggle forward, the sun getting hotter and hotter as time passed by. Her throat went from dry to parched, and she reached up with one hand to touch her throat, wincing when she felt the dull ache of thirst. She looked around to see how far she had travelled, and realised she could still see where she had been lying just a little distance away from herself. She groaned audibly – at this rate, she wouldn't make it anywhere. She might as well just go back to lying on the ground.

"Where am I?" she muttered, covering her face again and glancing up into the sky. It was the bluest sky she could ever remember seeing in Neverland – she was so used to the coolness of the dark cave and the forest, the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees rarely touching her face anyway due to her nocturnal schedule. It just struck her how far they had travelled since yesterday – huge distances that she couldn't even hope to traverse by herself, much less in the span of one day. The valley alone with its thirty kilometres…she had no idea how Len had managed to complete that in a night, what's more with her as a burden. Hopefully one day she would be as fit as him and the rest of the Lost Boys. She was gaining quite a bit of muscle already, to be honest – much more than she ever had in the past, notwithstanding the time when she was a playful, active child.

She glanced at the sun – the light was not so bright that she would hurt her eyes if she gazed at it directly, though she did have to squint. She wondered if the sun on Neverland also rose in the East and set in the West – if it did, then perhaps she would at least know which direction she was travelling in. Unfortunately she didn't know if the sun followed the same trajectory as on Earth, so that wasn't helpful. Nevertheless, she could only press onwards, since the alternative was to just lie on the ground and wait for someone to rescue her, and that didn't seem like it would be happening any time soon. She couldn't always rely on Len, could she? She was a human with agency and free will, she would do something herself for once. With renewed determination, she strode forward…

…and landed flat on her face, having accidentally hooked her bad leg in a groove on the ground. She managed to cushion the fall by throwing her arms out, but she could feel the sting of a flesh wound along her elbow to add on to the constant throbbing of her abused ankle. She turned over, ignoring the pain, and lay flat on the ground in exactly the same way she said she wouldn't just moments ago. She was getting absolutely nowhere, there was no use fooling herself into thinking otherwise. She would probably just be eaten by one of those coyotes or be stung by a poisonous snake or scorpion or whatever weird beasts the plains had. She should never have decided to come on this journey.

"I thought you were doing quite well, actually. I'm disappointed that you felt the need to stop," she jolted up when she heard the familiar voice somewhere close to her, breathing heavily as she tried to look around for the source of the words. The blond haired boy popped into view just seconds later, waving his hand in front of her face. In that hand, much to her surprise, was the wooden flask she had dropped in the Valley last night. "I came back just a bit before you woke up actually, and I wanted to see what you would do if you thought you were on your own. I would always be nearby to help if you encountered any danger of course, but you were doing surprisingly well by yourself."

"You…you!" she was speechless. Was her safety and her brief moments of despair at being left alone all just a game to him? An entertaining test of the latest recruit? "I could have died!" she seethed. "What if I just gave up and lay there and a coyote came to eat me? Where were you even hiding?" she had not spotted him despite looking around numerous times, and there was no tall grass for him to hide in so she had absolutely no idea how he managed to conceal himself from her for so long.

"Oh, I was right behind you all along," Len shrugged. "It's not that difficult to hide behind someone walking and moving as slowly as you are. Whenever you turned I just turned with you. I knew you were going to trip and fall before you actually did because you weren't looking at the ground, so I got out of the way before you could land on me," he tossed the flask at her, and she managed to catch it, to her surprise. He didn't seem particularly impressed by her newly improved hand-to-eye coordination. "I can't believe you were so oblivious though. Couldn't you feel someone behind you?"

She really hadn't noticed. "I was busy trying to brave through the pain," she defended herself, hastily unscrewing the bottle and gulping down the contents. Fresh sweet water slid down her throat, and she let out a moan of enjoyment, vowing that she would never again underestimate the importance of clean water. "When you're trying to walk with a sprained ankle you don't exactly pay attention to whether there's a stalker lurking behind you! I thought…I thought I did feel a presence occasionally," she admitted, thinking back to the few seconds where she thought she was being watched, while she was struggling through the plains. "But I thought it was just the memory of last night haunting me so I didn't think too much about it…or that it might be a Red Indian just waiting to kill me."

The last phrase was said with a finality that rang throughout the silence that fell between them afterwards. Len coughed after a few seconds, breaking the sudden tension. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" he asked brusquely. She took his extended hand and got to her feet, hissing softly as her foot brushed against the ridge she tripped over. "I wouldn't have actually let anything happen to you. It was a test of sorts – and the results surprised me," she couldn't see his face since he was now piggybacking her, but he sounded almost proud. That did make her feel happier about her situation.

"Len, can I ask you something?" she asked as the thought occurred to her. He glanced back at her, looking momentarily away from the path he was taking through the plains. She took that as an indication to continue. "The bottle…did you take it away from me before I woke up so that you could test what I would do when I'm thirsty?" he shook his head. She frowned. "Was it already gone when you brought me up here?" he nodded this time. She blinked, realising that this could only mean one thing. "So you went back down to the Valley to get it before I woke up?" he nodded again.

Once more, she was stunned speechless, though this time for a very different reason. Finally, she managed to find her voice, her arms tightening their grip around his collarbones. "Why did you go through all that? The zombies might have gotten to you. You really could have died or something!" she exclaimed, feeling the reassuring weight of the wooden bottle bouncing against her hip, next to her dagger. Len chucked – she could feel the vibrations rumbling low and deep within his throat.

"Do you really doubt me so much?" he asked, glancing back at her again. "That Valley is nothing for me alone. It was only a concern last night since I had to carry you, but by myself I have no problems navigating there. Besides, it was easy to find your bottle. I already knew roughly where you dropped it, so I just had to go back there and look for it. I didn't even run into any of the walking dead," he reassured her. Nevertheless, she remained tense. It was her fault that he went back to the Valley, that place they just escaped out of last night, and for something so small and unimportant too.

"You should have just left the bottle alone, it wasn't worth such danger," she finally said, and again he laughed, much to her chagrin. "What are you laughing about? I'm thinking about your safety!" she said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. Earlier, when she first noticed he was missing and had considered the possibility that he might be lying unconscious somewhere, she had not worried because she didn't think he would be in any grave danger. He was Len, after all – the wise, strategic leader who could always think of a way to get himself out of trouble. But now, hearing about exactly what he was doing before she woke up…she was more afraid for him now than she was before.

"You really need to stop underestimating me. Yes, I'm not superhuman, but I'm not as weak as you seem to think I am. Besides, don't go around thinking it was just for you," his tone hardened as he spoke, losing the initial good humour. "I knew if I didn't retrieve the flask for you then it was really likely you'd moan all day about being thirsty, and I didn't want to go through that sort of hardship. That's all. Don't flatter yourself by thinking I risked my life for a small convenience of yours," he warned. She gritted her teeth, stung by his abrupt change in attitude, but said nothing anyway. She was just thankful that she had her bottle back. Besides, there was some truth to his words.

Len wasn't too sure why he suddenly snapped at the girl, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about either. He was starting to get hungry especially after all the running and fighting he did last night, and though he had drunk some water from Miku's bottle he was still rather thirsty. Add that to the fact that he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, and it explained his foul mood at the moment.

Oh, she was entertaining. It was amusing watching her struggle so hard across the plains, though at the same time he felt mean since she was putting in so much effort and there he was, laughing at her. He really ought to properly acknowledge her hard work, and he made a mental note to do that later, when he wasn't aching and exhausted. Miku was so light that he barely even registered her weight, but walking alone was tiring, and he knew they were still some distance away from the Red Indian camp. It would be afternoon by the time they reached the camp, and that was if they didn't take any breaks. Still, he knew they were going to reach the camp a lot faster than Miki would.

His teeth bared slightly at the thought of the name. Furukawa Miki…that little squaw who had dared to lead them right into that trap, down by the Valley. He was going to wait for her and find her, and then he would question her regarding her motives for doing such a thing. If he found her answers to be unsatisfactory, then he would think of a way to get his revenge – hopefully by tossing the girl into the Valley to be eaten by the walking dead. That would be an extremely fitting punishment, given the kind of trouble the girl had gotten him and Miku into. He hoped that she would turn into a zombie herself and shamble around the bottom of the Valley for the rest of eternity.

"Are you all right? You don't seem very happy. I mean…well, I don't know. You just don't seem quite like yourself," Miku ventured, her voice breaking the silence between them. He wasn't surprised by her sudden words, but he remained quiet for a while, thinking over what to say. He definitely didn't want to let Miku know about his plans for revenge, since…since she was a girl, and he doubted that girls would like to hear about his various strategies and desires. This was something he would gladly talk about with his Lost Boys, but with a girl…well, it was different. How was a girl, especially one as weak and new to Neverland as Miku was, supposed to understand his ploys and forgive his anger?

"I was just thinking about Miki. That girl who tricked us," he responded. "I hope she gets her just rewards for what she has done," _and if she doesn't I'll see to it myself_ , he added, though he didn't say that out loud of course. Miku made a little noise of assent and fell silent again, evidently satisfied with what he told her. He focused on putting one foot before the other, making the long, silent journey across the plains towards the Red Indian campsite. It was tucked in a corner within the boundary between the sandy plains and the rainforest that came next in the territory. The Red Indian territory was split into three very distinct segments, all with a noticeable boundary line – the tall grasses which were nearest to the forest of the Lost Boys, followed by the Lost Valley of Souls, which acted as a divide between the first and second segment. The second segment, the plains of sand, were further separated from the forest by a raging river they were going to have to cross later.

Perhaps it would be a good idea now if he were to warn Miku about that river. It wasn't exactly what one would call a stream – quite far from it, in fact. "Later, we have to get across a river in order to finally reach the campsite," he said, shaking the girl on his back lightly as he felt her head start to droop against his shoulder. "The closer we get to the river the more wild animals we'll see. There's nothing here because we're so close to the Lost Valley of Souls – inland, there will be more and more creatures, so you have to be careful. And then there is the matter of having to cross the river itself."

"What's wrong with the river?" she yawned. He was rather surprised that she was still tired, given that she had slept for most of the night and for some part of the morning as well. She had to be pretty tired from tussling with the zombies – though it didn't take that much effort for him, it was her first time dealing with actual moving enemies, so maybe she could be forgiven for being so exhausted. Still, he had forgotten what it was like to have to make allowances for someone. After all, the Lost Boys were all pretty good at keeping up with him, except maybe for Gumo, the youngest.

"The currents are rapid there. Well, maybe rapid is an understatement. If I accidentally drop you there you might die in a few seconds, because the riverbed is filled with jagged rocks and boulders and it drops to a waterfall just a little distance down. The waterfall is as high as the Valley is steep, and assuming you manage to survive even such a fall, the river continues on to the lagoon of the mermaids. No one would be able to survive that," his voice was grim. He tried to brighten up a little, taking note of how quiet the girl had become. "It could be worse. At least there aren't any crocodiles or piranhas; those are all in the ocean with the pirates, so they aren't our problem," he concluded.

He felt her shake her head. "That's not really helping to make me feel any better," she answered, voice barely a murmur. She sounded afraid. "Are you going to drop me in the river?" her voice was tremulous now. He wanted to groan – if there was one thing he could not stand about this girl, besides her somewhat uselessness and her overwhelming bad luck, it was her pessimism.

"If I wanted you to die would I really bring you all the way out here to the river just to drop you inside? I could have let you die any number of times on the way here. You're being too paranoid about me abandoning you, Hatsune," he exhaled, closing his eyes. "As the leader of the Lost Children I give you my solemn vow that I will not just leave you to die, all right? You are one of my own now, and I take care of what's mine. It won't be any different just because you're a girl, unlike the Lost Boys. You still made the choice to come here, didn't you? So you need to trust what I say as well."

"I know, I know," she sounded faintly agitated. "I just can't help thinking about being abandoned. I mean, since Nero and the others all keep implying that I'm useless. I know what you're thinking, you know, although neither you nor I say so aloud," her fingernails were digging into his skin, and it stung a little, actually. He made no comment on that, however. "And I know I'm just a magnet for trouble. It would make sense why you'd want me gone, really. I'm nothing but a burden to you and the Lost Boys, aren't I?" when she put it that way, it actually made a lot of sense. Why was he even bothering to defend this girl and protect her? But of course he knew he couldn't just think that way of her.

He remembered that, when Rei first came to him with the request for a female companion, the Lost Boys all promised to take care of the girl when she arrived as well as any possible consequences which might come with her. Miku, this girl he chose and the girl the masters spared, was the girl they were stuck with, her pessimism and uselessness and bad fortune all part of her as well. They couldn't just ditch her since they were the ones who had accepted the possible consequences of their desire. Besides, the few remaining bits of conscience Len still possessed dictated that it would be inhuman to just leave someone in Neverland to fend for themselves. He was calculative, but he was not cruel.

"Like I said, you're one of the Lost Children now. And I won't leave any of my Lost Children behind, no matter how tedious it becomes to protect them," he finally answered, hoping this would satisfy her for now. She said nothing else, but her grip around his neck loosened and he thought that was probably a good sign. He glanced back downwards at her ankle, which looked decidedly swollen, and figured that the sooner they got to the Red Indian camp, the sooner they could treat her ankle and the sooner they would be able to make the journey back to their own territory. They had little time left till the _kararehe_ attacked them, less than three weeks in fact, and by the time they returned they would be left with half a month. He would have to make haste, and Miku would have to continue to improve her fighting ability as much as she possibly could until then. Time was a scarce resource.

At last, the river was coming within sight. It hadn't taken very long for them to travel across the land, though to Len it felt like a long time since he was so tired. It was just as formidable as he promised, the rushing waters throwing up white mist into the air. "How are we going to get past the river?" Miku asked him, obviously concerned that there wasn't any bridge or something similar. But of course there wouldn't be a bridge. The force of the currents would destroy any bridge utterly.

"The same way the Red Indians do, of course – we swim," he answered matter-of-factly. He was met with silence, and he turned to see her stricken expression. He knew she would be terrified of the prospect after he told her about how she would die if she was swept away in the raging waters. He peered closely at the river, now close enough to the riverbank to feel the faint spray against his face. The river was maybe around three metres wide – not a great distance to swim, but it would be tiring since they would have to swim against the current. "You see that row of rocks, right in the middle?" he pointed out the boulders he was mentioning, five of them jutting out past the raging waters. The boulders stretched across the width of the river from one bank to the next. "If your balance is good enough, you can balance on the boulders and hop across to the other side. With your ankle though, it'd be better not to risk that. Our safest bet now is to enter the river itself and cling on to the boulders, using them to swim across to the other side without being swept away by the waters."

"I don't know if I'm strong enough to hang on," she whispered, still frightened of the possibilities. The river, now that they were close enough, looked like a raging force of nature – the rocks that littered the riverbed sharp and jutting, and the steep drop he knew was present just a short distance down from where they stood. One could practically feel the speed and anger of the river just by standing here and watching the currents. They watched as a twig, whirling through the waters as the river carried it down rapidly from upstream, got slowly torn apart by the water's force – by the time the twig reached them, all that was left of it was a leaf. The leaf was splattered against a boulder just moments later. He heard Miku swallow audibly. In fact, he was getting a little nervous himself.

"I'll come right after you so I can catch you if anything goes wrong," he reassured her. She looked disbelieving, but made no attempt to resist when he gently pushed her off his back. She stood next to him, trembling – from pain or fear, he could not tell – and only moved towards the river when he gave her a little push. "Come on, this is the last stretch before we reach the camp. The Red Indian camp is right there, past this river. Once you're past this you won't have to go through anymore danger, other than the Red Indians trying to kill you – but that's something we can settle later. For now, just focus on getting past this obstacle. It's just water. It won't kill you." Hollow words, given that he had told her about the waterfall and they had just witnessed what happened to the twig – but at this point he could hardly just tell her that she might die right here and wish her good luck.

"You'll catch me?" she asked, fingers curled up into fists. One of her hands was placed against his shoulder so that she could balance without putting her weight on her hurt leg. He could feel the tension present within her limbs, the fear that made itself obvious in both her posture and the expression on her face. He nodded – he couldn't promise that he would be able to catch her, but at the very least he would do his best. He had faith that she wouldn't die. If someone as feeble as Miku could make it past the dangers of their territory and the zombies in the Lost Valley of Souls and even manage to escape from her numerous near-death encounters, then either she was terribly unlucky or she had the best luck in the world. Which one she had would determine the outcome of this test – either he would catch her or he wouldn't. Maybe she wouldn't even need to be caught by him.

Without another word, she stepped forward towards the rushing river. Her hands were still shaking, but she held on tightly to him as she took off her shoes and tossed them across to the other side. Thankfully, they cleared the river, landing safely on the other bank – he didn't want to think about what he would do if her shoes got swept down towards the waterfall. She would just have to walk barefoot if that happened. She drew in a deep breath, then gingerly placed her good leg in the river water. She withdrew her leg a lot faster than she put it in. "It's _freezing_ in there!" she exclaimed.

"You'll just have to bear it, we don't have a choice," he pointed out. "Unless you're absolutely sure you can balance on the boulders, but I really wouldn't recommend that. With that ankle, I can guarantee you'll fall off the rock within seconds," he warned her. She sighed sullenly, but visibly braced herself, putting her leg back in the water, the other leg still on the solid river bank. He was holding on to one of her hands to keep her rooted so she wouldn't be swept away by the strong currents. "Just tell me when you're sure you can move on. I'll let go then," he warned her.

She nodded, shoulders rising and falling as she inhaled and exhaled, breaths shaky. He wasn't sure how much time passed – perhaps hours, perhaps seconds, but time seemed to suspend indefinitely – and finally, she said the two words. "Let go!" she all but screamed, and he did as she said. She desperately swung her arm out towards the nearest boulder, clinging on to it like a monkey to its mother, her other foot slipping from the bank into the tempestuous waters. He watched for a while to see if there was any risk she would let go and be sent downstream, but she seemed to be certain enough to actually start reaching out for the next boulder. He determined then that she ought to be fine for now – there was no guarantee for later, but at least she was relatively safe for the moment.

As she moved from the first boulder to the next, her thin body buffeted by the waters which so threatened to break her grip on safety, he rolled back on his heels and darted forwards – not allowing himself to hesitate and reconsider his decision, he dove straight into the waters after her.


	25. Chapter 25

"Well, fuck. Fuck you. Fuck fuckity fuck. _Fuck_ ," Nero was cursing away as always, one hand raking through his blond hair as he stared at the mess Gumo had gotten himself into. Gumo scowled.

"Shut up, I didn't mean to do it," he defended himself as he attempted once more to get out of the net he had entangled himself in – the nets that Piko had made and Nero had set up in the forest. He honestly hadn't seen them while he was hunting in the wilderness, and now he had miraculously gotten himself stuck in three of them. He didn't have any idea how he achieved such a feat.

"I have half a mind to leave you up there," Nero yelled up at him, his violet eyes narrowing. "This isn't the first time, Gumo! Nor the second. Not even the third! Do you actually give a fuck about where you're going?" Gumo was quite tired of the number of times Nero had cursed so far. He had said 'fuck' at least seven times already, and Gumo was never particularly fond of cussing.

"Yeah well, the sooner you get me down the sooner I can go back to hunting!" he shouted back, wondering why it had to be Nero and not Piko who found him. Piko would have just gotten him down from the trees without any question. Or Rei, who might laugh for a while but would ultimately help him down too. No, he had to get Nero again, the one who would just complain and grouse for an hour about how much trouble Gumo was causing before he finally did anything to change the situation. Gumo grunted as he tried to shift his arm, but it was trapped very firmly behind his back. His leg was dangling from the rope, the other leg twisted awkwardly in the netting it was caught in. His face was squeezed against the rough net as well, and it was definitely not comfortable.

Nero obviously rolled his eyes, before lightly springing up the trunk of the nearest tree and carefully advancing towards the branch from which the rope was hung. Gumo patiently waited, ignoring the slow burn in his twisted arm as he watched the boy get closer and closer. He would be out of this net soon enough – besides, he had been stuck here for a good part of the evening, and he probably would be able to last here the whole night. He wasn't very happy about the discomfort, but he wouldn't die. The branch creaked and swayed as Nero cautiously advanced down the thin length.

Eventually, it got to the point where the branch would probably break if Nero came any closer. Gumo watched, bracing himself as he grew aware of the situation – he could guess what Nero would do to resolve the problem. With a grimace, the older boy took out a hunting dagger and, leaping off the branch towards the net, he swung out the blade and chopped cleanly through the rough rope. Prepared for the fall, Gumo twisted in mid-air, free as the tangled netting collapsed around him, and managed to turn enough to land on his back rather than on his elbow. He groaned quietly, sitting up and massaging his back, as Nero dropped gracefully to the ground and shook his head, keeping his dagger away. The netting draped itself over Gumo, but he ignored the extra weight on him for now.

"I hope that's the last time you ever get yourself stuck in one of our traps. They're meant for animals, you know. Not for people – though I suppose we all are animals, in a way," Nero suddenly laughed. It was a short, sharp bark, devoid of humour. "Come on, I'll get the netting off you," he continued towards him, yanking the thick net off the younger Lost Boy. Gumo pushed the nets off as well, still marvelling at how the three nets had tangled themselves so badly around him.

"I'm _sorry_ that my night vision isn't as good as yours," Gumo sniffed, shaking his arm free of the rough cords. It was nice to be able to move again. "I mean, you and Rei are the nocturnal ones. I'd rather be sleeping. In fact during winter, do you know how hard it is to wake up and leave the den at all?" he kicked the nets away from him, grimacing as Nero yanked the last one away from his torso. Nero looked up as Gumo complained, rolled his violet eyes again and went back to his task. He knew that the blond haired boy was probably thinking about how stupid he was, but it wasn't as though he was making up excuses for himself…well, not entirely at least. There was truth to his words.

"Come on, let's get you back to the den. Rei has been wondering where you were for a while. I swear I haven't seen him so active since the Hatsune girl showed up," Nero turned and strode away, Gumo hurrying to keep up with him. Nero's words were said with an air of nonchalance, but Gumo didn't believe for a second that the boy was as relaxed about this as he claimed to be. Despite Len and Miku being gone for two days already, there was still tension between Nero and Piko, and it made Gumo feel rather uncomfortable. He hoped they wouldn't run into each other again later.

"It's already evening, and the sun is setting," their territory was already dark, meaning it couldn't be too far away from sunset in the Red Indian territory. They had longer daylight hours than the Lost Boys did. "Do you think they're already there, in the Indian camp?" he asked, more to himself than to the other boy. Nero definitely heard the question – his hands suddenly clenched into fists by his side, but he didn't snap back or make any other indication that he heard what Gumo was saying. Gumo noted that, and wondered if he ought to push for an answer – he was certain that Nero had an opinion on this matter, but simply didn't wish to voice it aloud. "Must be exciting for Miku, huh?"

"That's if you believe she even managed to make it there," Nero snorted, his tone rather snappish. He said little else about the matter – he didn't need to say anything for Gumo to sense the waves of annoyance rolling off him. Gumo tried not to let the other boy's words affect him too badly. He had to admit that he sided more with Nero than Rei and Piko when it came to Miku's chances of surviving out in the wilderness of Neverland – it wasn't that he had no faith in her ability, but Nero was the one who trained her and if he said she couldn't make it, then it was probably true, right? Gumo didn't want his friend to get hurt. After all, even Len was human. And no human was perfect.

He didn't want to brush her off so easily in the same way Nero did, though. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Miku could be shockingly defiant at times. A prime example would be when she was raging about Nero – that definitely left an impression on Gumo, since none of them actually ever talked aloud about the blond haired boy. Sure, they all grumbled about him at one point or the other, but Miku did it in such a… _forceful_ , unprecedented way that surely even Nero had to be surprised.

"Nakajima," Nero suddenly said, causing Gumo to jerk in surprise – the Lost Boys rarely ever referred to him by his family name, since 'Gumo' was much easier and shorter to say. They only ever used his family name if they wanted to draw his attention to some deadly serious point. "If that girl comes back – and I'm only saying if," he added at Gumo's raised eyebrow, "I think you should take over from me when it comes to her training. It's not that I'm abandoning my duties or whatever," he continued before Gumo could interject, eyebrow lifting ever higher in surprise, "I just know where my abilities lie. I trained you, that's true, but that's also because you're not so damn… _breakable_. You didn't get here a whimpering, pathetic mess like she was. You had strength in your bones, and she's just… _weak_ ," Nero pronounced the word as though it was cursed, vile and disgusting. "And I can't handle someone as weak as her. I'd be more useful hunting. You have the patience I clearly lack."

"Hey, I'd do it, but Len was the one who assigned you to train her," Gumo shrugged, not knowing how else to reply. "I'm sure that Len was perfectly aware from the start about what you're like. He probably had his reasons for assigning you. You're the best fighter we have, after all. Maybe he wanted her to be paired up with the most aggressive of us…you're the one who keeps emphasising that there's only a few weeks left to the attack, after all. Mollycoddling her isn't going to help her, and you know that's what I'd do," he shrugged again. "Protect her. I'm not _mean_ enough, Nero."

The blond haired boy stopped then, making Gumo stop just as abruptly – did he see something ahead in the forest? He couldn't smell anything, and his vision was not quite as good as Nero's in the darkness. But he was absolutely sure that there was nothing ahead of them…slowly, Nero turned around, a rather unnerving smile on his face. There was a peculiar gleam in his violet eyes, a look that Gumo recognised and dreaded. It was one of Nero's marvellous bright ideas – emphasis on marvellous because his ideas were so astounding, one of them would probably end up getting hurt in the process of carrying it out. "Yeah, you're not mean enough _now_ ," Nero said slowly, "but if someone happened to provoke you, or any one of us – I mean, even Piko can get riled up…"

"Nero, no," Gumo cut in, voice sharp. It was surprising even to himself, because he had never heard himself sound so fierce before, not even when unhappy. It was Nero's turn to look surprised. "If I get angry, you know I'll hurt someone. If you want me to be _mean_ , I can be if pushed, but not…not like that. And not with Miku…I'd maul her to death," he concluded decisively, continuing on his way.

"Anything would be better than having me train her. I'd maul her to death even without changing," Nero grumbled, falling into step beside him. Gumo didn't reply, and after a while, the other boy sighed. "Yeah, Len is our great and all-wise leader," he said bitterly, "but he's really old, isn't he? He might look young, but how many years has he lived? Centuries, you know. Far longer than you or I. Maybe even his judgement would falter every once in a while," he brushed aside a hanging branch, easily keeping up with Gumo despite Gumo's attempts to stay slightly ahead. "Don't just ignore me, Nakajima. I know you're listening. And I know you're thinking," he added. "You're always thinking."

Gumo glanced at him, ducking under some low-hanging vines. "I don't pretend to understand our leader or his motives. We probably don't know everything we think we know about Len, but that's not surprising. Like you pointed out, he's old," an unidentifiable insect buzzed before his face, and he quickly waved it away. "But he's led us well for all these years, and I trust his judgement. If he says that you should be the one to train Miku, then you should be. Aren't you just scared, Nero?"

"Scared of what?" Nero's words were low and loaded. Nero absolutely hated any implications of weakness, and fear was something repugnant to him. Never once before had Gumo heard him admit that he was frightened of anything – but surely he had a phobia of something. It was human weakness to fear something, even stupid things like spiders or heights, or things like death and loss…and if Nero was human, then he had to be scared of something. Gumo just wondered if he had finally chanced upon the one thing Nero was terrified of, because before this it never came up. The fear could not possibly manifest when everyone else Nero knew was as strong as he was.

"You're scared of hurting someone you actually care about. I know you care about Miku, Nero. We all do – she's like a friend, a comrade. She's one of us now. If you didn't care at all about her you wouldn't kick up a fuss about her going with Len; you'd just declare that she'll die and say nothing else about the matter," Gumo paused and looked at Nero – the blond haired boy was silent, his face averted, so he didn't know how, or even _if_ , Nero was reacting to his words. "Before this, you've never had to worry about hurting one of us, and you know I don't mean 'hurt' as in just physical injury. We can all recover from physical injury, we're all strong enough to sustain an attack. But she's different, isn't she? Because she's naturally so much weaker than us, yet she has a temper that none of us have, and you're scared that with such a combination it'll piss you off enough that you'll –"

"Enough. Stop it!" Nero snapped, turning towards Gumo so quickly that he caught his tongue, eyes widening in surprise. Nero looked…no, not angry, and not upset. He looked… _weary_. It wasn't a look that Gumo was used to seeing on Nero's face. "I'm not scared of anyone or anything, and I'm most certainly not scared of hurting Hatsune. Fuck that – I'd be glad to see her fall into a pit or something. She deserves it, that brat," he exhaled through his nose, violet eyes narrowing. "Anyone who lets themselves feel pain or suffering deserves what they get," he added. "Pain is an inevitable part of life – what we can do is to grow numb to it. That's the only way you can stop hurting, you know?"

It was rare to hear him sound so cynical. Stubborn, hard-headed and obstinate were all words he could use to describe Nero – weary and philosophical? Now that was something he would associate more with Rei. "Well, if you grow numb to feeling," Gumo reasoned, "then you wouldn't be able to feel other things, right? Like happiness or excitement or…I don't know. The nice things," he finished lamely. He knew what he meant but he didn't know how to put it into words – the idea that feelings were all… _inextricably_ linked, and that to stop experiencing one might lead to ignoring all of them. After all, if you didn't know what pain was, you wouldn't know what the opposite was either. If there was no sadness, then there wouldn't be any happiness to contrast against that either, right?

Nero was about to reply when they heard something rustle behind them. Instantly, both of them whipped around – the blond haired boy was especially shocked by being taken by surprise like this. It must have been Gumo and all his nonsensical ideas; that was why he failed to notice that something was following them. He prided himself on being especially alert to his surroundings, and this lapse of judgement shook him a little, made him feel less confident about his own abilities. However, he refused to show this momentary weakness to Gumo. The green haired boy knew more than enough about his true feelings because of all his digging around – he refused to let him know anything else.

"Who's there?" he called out, glancing at Gumo to see what his fellow Lost Boy was doing. Gumo was warily watching the area of forest from which the sound had issued. The rustle came right behind them, towards Nero's left, meaning it was closer to Gumo than to him. The leaves rustled again, this time noticeably, and the two boys exchanged looks of trepidation – was it an enemy of some sort, one of the _kararehe_ launching a sneak attack before the month was up? Or was it just an animal passing through? But what Nero knew was that, in Neverland, letting one's guard down was sheer stupidity. It was better to be wary all the time than to be complacent, because complacency would get you killed in a land as dangerous as this one. "Come out!" he raised his voice, wondering if whatever was causing such a ruckus could actually understand the human tongue.

The leaves parted, and both boys stared in surprise at what emerged from the forest. Whatever Nero had expected, it wasn't this – he had a fleeting suspicion because of the lingering smell in the air, but he thought it was just because they were travelling near the river…he learnt that he never ought to doubt his senses ever again, even if what they were telling him seemed highly improbable.

"This night gets better and better," Nero muttered, the sarcasm dripping from his words evident to all parties. He'd almost rather be discussing Hatsune again – at least he and Gumo were alone then.

* * *

Miku was clinging on to the rock as though her life depended on it – and it did, quite literally. She was so terrified that she was stuck in place, muscles completely locked around the worn smooth boulder. She didn't think she could reach out to the next rock even if she wanted to.

Len was waiting behind her, getting impatient at the girl. His body was buffeted by the rapid currents, which were especially strong here in the centre of the river. He didn't know why Miku was suddenly panicking when she literally had only one boulder left to pass before reaching the other side. He would have understood if she panicked at the first crossing, but she had done well up till this point, so why was she frozen there, still and unmoving, while he remained stuck here waiting behind her? If there was anyone here who would have a phobia of the water, it would be him!

After all, he was the one who had been swept out into the empty ocean and drifted through both water and consciousness for God knew how many days before he finally washed up on the shores of Neverland. But here he was, still chest deep in water, his face constantly splattered by the water droplets the river threw up at him, watching as the girl before him breathed in and out, shoulders heaving in terror. Her top was entirely wet, the fabric clinging to her skin and making her look clammy – maybe she was sweating, he didn't know nor did he particularly want to find out. "Get a move on, Hatsune!" he yelled as loud as he could, hoping that his voice could be heard over the roar of the river. Her shoulders jerked, and he knew that she had heard him. He watched her inhale.

Quickly – for if she did this slowly, she would be swept away – she lunged out for the next boulder, swinging her body so that the weight would help her resist the pull of the current. This was how she had cleared the other four boulders, and this would be her final hurdle before she was safe on the river bank. Glad to finally be moving away from the strong current, he leapt after her to the boulder she had originally been clinging on to…perhaps too quickly, for he accidentally bumped into her injured leg, which was still dangling near the boulder, and with a cry of pain she let go.

The waters seemed to grab her with malicious glee. In Neverland, even the water, the sky and the earth seemed to have some sort of predatory instinct to them – the jagged claws of the mountains, the roar of the river, the ominous rumble that sometimes rang throughout a clear sky. Len watched in horror as Miku was swept away by the river, shrieking his name for a few short seconds before water rushed into her mouth and choked her off. For a few seconds, he was utterly stunned – he had no idea what to do, because he never thought that she would lose her grip so close to the end…

Then he shook himself out of his trance and, taking a deep breath – he knew he would need the air when he was thrashing around in the rapids – he let go as well, going off after her. He knew he had less than a minute before they were both swept out to the waterfall, so he didn't resist the flow of the current, allowing it to bring him quickly all the way to the struggling girl – she was latching on to the river bank with desperately clawing fingers, but the loose muddy soil crumbled in her hands and she never stayed in any position long enough to haul herself to safety. The boulders jutting out in this particular stretch of the river were few, and she was too far away to reach out for them anyway.

He was near one though, and he knew that if he latched on to this one well enough, he might be able to catch Miku on her way downstream – the currents had already swept him past her, and now he was trying his hardest to gauge their distance apart and how long he would need to catch her, given her resistance towards the river. He could hardly breathe – sometimes, the river tossed him below the surface, and he would have to take a deep, water-filled breath as he came up before the river threw him aside again, a cruel child with a new plaything. It was sapping his energy, and he was _so_ tired, but he knew he had to save her. He promised that he wouldn't let her die, and he was not one to break his promises. With the last few vestiges of his strength, he struggled towards his left, hooking one arm around the nearby boulder. It was shaky and loose in the riverbed, but it would do.

Miku was only a few seconds away from him. He didn't know if she saw him, or if she saw anything at all besides the white mist and the clear water, the brown riverbank and the stones littering the riverbed – she was clearly weakening, her leg hampering her resistance. Her thrashing about was no longer as vigorous. But that was good for him – it would be easier for him to grab onto her when she passed by now, since she wouldn't be flailing so much. He counted, breathing quickly in and out to catch his breath – five seconds, four, three…and then his arm lashed out and he grabbed onto her outstretched hand. He felt her entire body jolt from the force, and she looked up at him, eyes wild.

He didn't know whether the wetness on her face was due to the water or her tears. Her large green eyes were rimmed with red. Her chest was heaving up and down, and he could feel the looseness of her muscles – she was tired, she had been a few seconds away from giving up and allowing the river to take her away. He wouldn't allow that, though. Slowly, hoping that his strength would sustain itself long enough to haul her to safety, he dragged her through the water towards him until finally she was right next to him. But when she reached out towards the rock, her fingers trembled, and he knew that she wouldn't be able to hold on tight enough to guarantee her safety. So he yanked her forward through the water, bidding her to hold on to the boulder – carefully, he readjusted himself so that he was pressed behind her, his arms wrapping around both her and the boulder so that she was cocooned between him and the wet rock. She wouldn't be torn away by the current then.

They were both stuck downstream of the Indian camp – safe for now, but not for long, since even his strength was exhaustible. If they attempted to swim across, they would simply be swept off-course towards the waterfall again – and now that they were so near the steep drop, it was too great a danger to risk. They were near the centre of the river – not quite in the middle, but far enough from the sides, so letting go to swim in either direction was a hazard. No matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be only one way out of this situation, and that thought was most unpleasant.

Miku was slowly catching her breath. She kept choking and spluttering, clear water spilling out from her mouth, but at least she was alive, and at least she was breathing. He could see the water running down her mouth and neck, and he could feel her wet skin pressed against his. It was cold, freezing cold – he had not realised just how cold the water was until he touched her skin. It had been a while since he felt discomfort due to temperature, but she was not so immune to nature, and if he didn't get her out of here soon, her body might give in to hypothermia. He made up his mind then – her safety was definitely worth any personal discomfort he might have about the whole arrangement.

"Okay, Miku," he yelled, voice hoarse from the river water. She looked up – though his voice was not extremely loud, she must have heard him, since he was practically shouting into her ear. "I want you to grab on to my arms as tight as you can. Don't let go no matter what. You might be tired," he took a breath here, and she continued staring up at him with wide, bloodshot eyes. He thought she looked like Hell, and realised he probably looked the same. "But you can't let go, because if you do you _will_ die, do you understand me?" she nodded faintly, and carefully she transferred her grip from the rock to his arm, fingers squeezing on tightly. He took another deep breath, preparing himself.

A little reluctantly, he reached deep into the recesses of his mind, searching for the ability bestowed upon him by the dark masters of Neverland. He hated it, because when he did this he…became another person. He was controlled by something that wasn't quite _him_ – it was a being influenced by the masters, a power that belonged to them, and as such he never quite knew what to expect while using his flight. As soon as he found the power lurking dormant in the back of his mind, the same corner where the dark masters usually spoke to him, he felt his rationality and sense of self shut itself down – not entirely, but enough to make him wonder if Kagamine Len was who he really was.

Miku gasped as she felt herself suddenly hurtle out of the water. Len was hovering above the river, the arm she was not gripping reaching around her to support her back. In a few seconds, they were away from the rushing rapids and safe on firm land – she had never been happier to see solid ground, and she let go of Len immediately, collapsing down on the soil. It was earthy and a little muddy, being so close to the river, but she didn't mind. She was dirty enough already, having spent such a long time in the water. She had almost drowned there…she shuddered. She could have died.

But Len had saved her. After she hit her leg against something, the pain distracted her enough to make her loosen her grip, and before she knew it she was torn away from relative safety into the rapids. He could have continued onwards by himself, since she wasn't really necessary for this job – even that gift meant for Silver Winds was carried by him, she was not contributing anything to this journey – but he chose to come after her and save her. It was admirable, actually. She wasn't sure if she would save herself, if she happened to be in his position. She always messed up, somehow – but she wasn't going to stay that way forever. She would improve after this, surely. She didn't think even Nero came to Neverland as the perfect Lost Child. Maybe it would just take a little longer for her…

She fisted the grass and the soil, the relief from being safe now almost palpable. She looked up at Len, the joy from being rescued making her excited about continuing on their way, but faltered when she noticed that he was now staring at her. He was standing a few steps away, his unblinking gaze fixed on her, and for some reason it felt a little…off. Like it wasn't really him – but then again, the Len she knew wouldn't be just standing there silently while she recovered from her ordeal. Her leader would probably be brusquely asking her if she was okay, if she needed time to rest, before he scolded her for being stupid or something. That was what Len was like, after all. He wasn't really the kind to just stand there and not say anything. Besides, his expression was almost…vacant.

"Len?" she voiced his name like a question. He didn't respond to her, but when she waved her hand up and down to catch his attention, his gaze flitted from her face to her moving hand, the blue eyes following the movement up and down, up and down intently, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. This was definitely very strange behaviour. "Len, you're…creeping me out," she coughed, spluttering as she choked up some more river water. It was difficult for her to take anything too seriously in light of the near-death experience she just had – the euphoria of survival still coursed through her veins, and she giggled, failing to see the gravity of the situation as Len stared at her.

But she did have enough awareness to notice the slight baring of teeth as Len's lips curled back, his eyes narrowing at her as she approached him. It was enough to make her halt. She realised then, the nagging feeling she was having ever since she noticed him behaving oddly – with his unblinking eyes and that intent focus, the way he seemed poised to strike…he reminded her of a bird. A bird-of-prey, perhaps a falcon. She tensed then, crashing from her high as she put his current behaviour and his earlier flight together. This must be some side effect of flying, and was probably why he seemed so reluctant about…about using his power. She had always wondered why he didn't like to fly – it was obvious, since if he could fly and didn't mind doing so, why didn't he just fly from the forest to the Red Indian camp? Or over the Lost Valley of Souls? There had to be a reason why he chose to walk.

Maybe he had lost sense of himself. If that was the case, then she would have to bring him back. It was curious though, since he definitely had flown her here from Earth, so why hadn't he behaved this way when they first got to Neverland? She made a mental note to ask him why later, but now her first priority was getting her leader back to normal. She wasn't sure how to do so, and she was getting rather put off by the predatory way he was staring at her. He looked pretty hungry, and that didn't seem to bode too well for her – she probably wouldn't last even five seconds against Len. She had seen the way the boy fought, and he fought like a dancer, lithe and quick and nimble.

She wasn't going to overpower him in a fight, but simply lying in front of him and behaving like the weaker prey didn't seem like a good idea either. She pursed her lips, quickly sifting through all the titbits of information she had obtained throughout her stay with the Lost Boys. Surely someone must have mentioned something about Len before, something which made him tick – the Lost Boys knew what pissed each other off, and she was sure that Len's name had come up before when Gumo and Piko compared his hissy fits to Rei's mysterious temper tantrums – but what was it they said…what was the thing they mentioned which riled up the blond haired boy so much?

As she thought, Len crept closer and closer to her, crouching down so he would be hidden within the tall grass. She noticed, and warily kept an eye on him, slowly backing away whenever he got too close. She thought as hard as she could, hoping that the river water had not addled her brains. She had a pretty good memory, so recalling wasn't the problem – the problem was sifting through all the other information, the white noise, the distractors… _distractors_. The word pinged around her head, and she knew it was something to do with distraction. What was it? What could possibly distract Len from his duties so much that it would make him snap at his Lost Boys…a girl? Was she the distractor? Or was that for Rei and Nero? It seemed like she distracted everybody, just because she wasn't like them.

Well, it didn't hurt to try…actually, it would hurt if she was wrong, but she didn't know what else to do. He was going to eat her anyway, if she didn't snap him out of it. Bravely, or perhaps stupidly, she threw herself at him, and the blond haired boy jerked upright, hands automatically reaching out for her. He was wet, just as wet as she was, but noticeably warmer. His arms were completely rigid, and she smacked right into his chest – it was like running headfirst into a breathing statue. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the next thing she felt wouldn't be teeth tearing into her skin or anything else equally painful, and for the longest time ever she felt the dreadful pull of anticipation and the unknown. Len did not move at all, and they stood there in a mockery of an embrace, just waiting.

Suddenly, so quickly that she almost fell over, he withdrew. "What the hell, Hatsune?" he snapped, arms reaching out to steady her as she stumbled, her bad leg throbbing again now that the panic and adrenaline were receding. "Don't just hug me like that, it's intrusion of personal space," he peered at her, noticing the look of relief and the trace remnants of nervousness in her expression. "What happened?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. For once, she was glad he was so perceptive.

"Don't you remember? After you flew us out of the river…" her voice trailed off. She didn't know how to describe what happened, the birdlike creature who was Len and yet not, who watched her with eerie hollow eyes and an unblinking stare. Len frowned, and suddenly he let go of her – she flailed her arms around, trying to balance on her one good leg. "Give me some warning before you let go like that!" she chided, voice slightly higher-pitched than normal. She had been so scared.

"It won't happen again, you don't have to worry about that," in contrast, his voice was low, and it drew her attention – he was serious most of the time, but rarely did he sound so grave. "I try not to fly because that's what happens when I do. It's not so bad when I fly from Earth to Neverland. But in Neverland, where the hold of the dark masters remains strong and powerful…it's a lot easier for them to infiltrate my conscious if I fly here, rather than between worlds," he shook his head. "But it's all right, let's not talk about that," he continued, studying her panic-stricken expression. "I won't fly again so that's not something you need to worry about. But if you want to get my attention, don't hug me," he grimaced, and it would have been comical if it weren't for the events which had transpired just moments ago. "You can distract _Rei_ with that…not me. I mean yes, but well...no."

She was confused. "So is it a yes or no?" she asked. She wanted to know so that next time, in case she had to grab his attention again – not necessarily because he was acting weird – she would know what to do. He frowned, looking away from her as he raked his hand through his dripping hair. She wanted to push for an answer, but the adrenaline rush of panic and the euphoria of being saved was wearing off, and she was starting to feel just how exhausted she really was. The tiredness seem to nestle in her very bones, a deep throbbing ache that made her want to close her eyes and fall into nothingness.

"Let's get going," he changed the subject quickly, taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention. "The Red Indian camp is very near, and we wouldn't want to visit them too late. They probably already know we're coming, with all the commotion we were making while crossing the river. Their lookouts must have told Tiger Lily to expect us," he looped his arm around her waist, slinging her other arm around his shoulder, supporting her as she hobbled towards the forest.

The thought of seeing the camp filled her with nervous anticipation – it would be the first time she saw a different settlement, but the memory of Miki and what she did to them made her tense. Would all the Red Indians be like her? It was difficult to believe that such a young girl could be so…traitorous! And from what the Lost Boys said, Tiger Lily was difficult to get along with…she glanced at Len beside her, who was being remarkably patient about their slow pace. He looked expressionless, and she couldn't tell what his thoughts about visiting the camp were.

 _Maybe it doesn't mean anything, maybe you're scaring yourself_ …but that was hard to believe. Nero's scornful words rang through her mind, and she couldn't help the shiver of fear that ran down her back – but she forced herself to remain calm. She had survived the trek and the zombies, and even this raging river. She would not fear this last stretch of their journey, even if it was the worst.


	26. Chapter 26

Even Miku was aware of how much noise they were making as they made painfully slow progress through the forest. She could feel how tense Len's shoulders were as he kept looking around, her still using him as a makeshift crutch. She swore she occasionally spotted dark eyes deep in the undergrowth, but when she turned quickly to catch the person, the eyes would already be gone.

"They're watching us, aren't they?" she said as quietly as she possibly could, her words barely even a whisper. Len nodded curtly, and she swallowed, looking around nervously. Every rustle in the forest caught her attention. The possibility that an entire tribe of Red Indians might be lying in wait, their bows poised to shoot as they watched for a single wrong move, frightened her. If the Red Indians were anything like Furukawa Miki, she wouldn't put it past them to try dirty tricks or ambushes.

"They won't shoot. They're curious," she almost missed the small smile – it was a strangely sinister smile, one she was unused to seeing on Len – which flitted across his face. "And they know better than to shoot at me," he added, tone dismissive. Clearly, Len had great authority in Neverland, and she wondered if it was because he was connected to the dark beings which controlled the place. Perhaps the Red Indians were aware of this? She didn't know, and at the moment she was honestly too exhausted to care. Then she glanced at the satchel Len still carried, despite their ordeal in the river just moments ago, and something just went off in her head – was it because of that satchel?

"How much further?" she continued whispering, her voice cracking slightly. It was difficult to force the words out from her throat, which felt scratchy and dry, like sandpaper. The forest here was a little different from what she was used to – it was wetter here, more humid, almost tropical compared to the cool, misty forests in the land of the Lost Boys. But it wasn't so warm and wet that she would really call it _tropical_ …the wetter atmosphere probably just had something to do with how close they were to the raging river. She heard a crackling sound from behind her and, instinctively, she shot around, ignoring the dull, ever-present pain in her leg. The next instant, something whipped through the air and impaled itself in the ground right next to her foot, the stem still quivering – a sharp arrow, a dark brown which gleamed faintly, catching the rosy light of the setting sun.

She gulped, unable to take her eyes away from the arrow. It had almost impaled her foot, and somehow she felt that the miss had not been an accident. Len placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to continue walking, and she kept glancing back at where the arrow landed until they turned a corner and she could see the warning no more. "Don't make any sudden moves," he said tersely, voice as quiet as before. "Just follow me, keep your head down and don't stop moving, no matter what. We'll be there very soon, the camp isn't very far away from the river itself."

She nodded, not wanting to say a single word. Her voice didn't sound like her own. The two of them traipsed on in silence while the sun set, throwing the area into a twilight darkness where she could still see, but just about barely. Their progress felt unbearably slow, and she wanted to hurry Len, but she knew that even if he walked faster she wouldn't be able to keep up with him. The faint path here was too narrow for both of them to walk down it at the same time, so it would be difficult for him to support her as she hobbled. She could see the shapes of the trees and branches around them, feel the wetness in the air, and sense the flitting shadows around her as the Red Indians followed them to their base camp, but she resisted the temptation to look around for the tribal people. She didn't want to receive another warning, and she doubted they would miss her if they shot a second time.

"We're here," Len suddenly stopped before her, and she knocked right into him, skittering back as she struggled to catch her footing. She lifted her gaze and saw that the faint path they were following opened up into a sort of passageway that was clear of any trees or foliage – this larger, more obvious path in turn seemed to open into a clearing beyond. Len turned and, cupping his hands around his mouth, made a loud, echoing call that sounded like an owl hooting. A few seconds later, three figures slipped down from the nearby trees to stand around them, and she shivered, both nervous and curious about these people – the trio ignored her, their attention focused entirely on Len. Two boys and one girl, probably slightly younger than her from their youthful looks…they all had jet black hair and tanned, olive skin, with eyes so dark that they seemed black. As one, the trio turned and walked forward, escorting them, and slowly, Miku and Len followed their lead.

As she limped down the pathway, she could see in the distance orange light dancing and flickering, throwing shadows onto the forest ground. In this twilight, the dark shadows seemed ominous, and she shivered again, suddenly reminded of the shadow monsters which haunted her at night, back on Earth. She had not thought about them in a long time – indeed, had not _needed_ to think about them since they did not appear to bother her in Neverland – but her helplessness and the fact that she knew absolutely nothing about what would happen next were reopening the old insecurities. She reached out to grip Len's arm, shaking a little. He glanced back at her, but he didn't say anything, allowing her to continue to hold on to him while she took deep breaths to calm herself down.

As they approached the orange light, it got warmer and warmer, and she knew it had to be the light of a campfire – probably quite a vast one too, at that. The three youths who were their supposed escorts made that same hooting sound that Len made earlier, and she saw dark figures rising from the trees, lowering curved shadows which looked suspiciously like bows. The people in the trees watched them as they passed, though she could not see their faces as they were hidden in the leaves. A chill ran down her back as, while walking past these guards, she saw various wooden poles in the ground, animal skulls staked atop each pole – it reminded her of Nero and his own gruesome room décor. At the very least it wasn't a human skull, unlike Nero's pole. Did staking a skull atop a pole signify something in Neverland, or did Nero and the Red Indians just have similar tastes?

A tall figure awaited them at the very entrance to the camp, which was blocked off by a makeshift wooden fence – a whole series of wooden poles which plunged deep into the hard ground, orange firelight spilling out through the empty spaces. She could now hear human voices and laughter in the camp beyond, the sound of drums and celebration. There was only one gap in the wooden fence large enough to accommodate a person, and the tall figure was standing right in it, waiting for them. She could not see who the person was since they stood with their back facing the firelight – all she could see was a dark silhouette. But Len chuckled softly as the figure approached them, and she suddenly thought that everything would be all right. After all, she was with Len. They were fine.

"I don't see what's so funny, Kagamine Len," a smooth, coldly melodious voice spoke, her words poised and almost calculative. "You and your…new Lost Child are trespassing in _my_ territory. You're lucky I didn't have you shot on the way here. State what your business is, then leave right after."

"Such a cold welcome, Luka," Len pushed his fringe away from his eyes, his hair still damp but no longer dripping wet. Miku could see a smirk on his face. "I don't have business with you. I'm here to talk to Silver Winds about something important, and I have something for her…something which I'm _quite_ sure she's been wanting for a few months," his tone became serious right then. Miku glanced up at the woman who was speaking to them – Luka…Megurine Luka, the pink haired princess of the Red Indians. "If you don't let me talk to her, then she won't have what I brought for her, and she'll die because of that. I don't think you can do without your soothsayer _quite_ yet," he taunted her.

She knew Luka's eyes were normally blue, but she couldn't see the colour of them in this darkness. She saw the princess' eyes narrow though, and wordlessly she stepped aside, allowing Len entrance into the camp. He proceeded forward without any problem, but when she tried to hobble past the princess, the taller woman blocked her way. "And is this one necessary for your discussion with Silver Winds?" she directed her words towards Len, her voice cold. Miku swallowed, her first instinct to back away from the imposing princess, but the knowledge that there were Red Indian archers watching her every move rooted her to the ground. The earlier warning lingered on in her mind.

Len glanced back, his lips curling into a scowl. "Let her through," the three words were spoken quietly, but the evenness of his tone did not deceive. The princess glared back at him, obviously reluctant about complying, and he opened the satchel, taking out something from the bag – the thing that had shocked her when she tried to open the bag earlier. It was a small bottle of some sort, nothing particularly special about it, but the princess leant towards the bottle the moment she saw it, her hostility towards them momentarily forgotten. "If you don't, I'll spill everything, and you will be left with nothing," Len concluded in that same quiet manner. Miku knew that it was not a bluff.

Evidently, the princess knew too. With a soft growl of frustration, she looked back at Miku and shifted aside, crooking her finger imperiously at her. Miku followed her leader and Tiger Lily, who were headed deeper into the camp, where the source of the flickering orange light appeared to be. "Silver Winds is expecting you. She is ill, and it is late. Give her the bottle and make your audience quick," the princess commanded, looking straight ahead as she spoke. As the three of them walked through the camp, Red Indians started slinking out from tepees, squaws and braves watching them silently with all the predatory intent of hawks. Miku tried her very hardest not to look at them, but it was difficult to ignore the hungry, piercing looks of curiosity being shot her way, especially the looks of curiosity directed towards her bad leg. She could feel them sizing her up, judging her strengths.

The camp was very different from the den of the Lost Boys. For one thing, the area covered was certainly much wider. The clearing was gigantic, and she wondered if the Red Indians had cleared the land themselves or if they settled where there was land for them. Given what Len said about the forest and trees being alive and self-replicating, it was probably the latter. But the forest here didn't seem to be quite as dark or dangerous as the one she lived in – there was no constant feeling of being watched, and the space just seemed to be much more open, and far less suffocating…

The Red Indians lived above rather than below ground. There were tepees made from rough animal hide, tattered flaps that were patched up with hides from other animals, creating a tapestry of patches and stitching. There were children running and screaming around the camp, either fully naked or wearing just a pair of dark pants. The boys wore red face paint, the girls wore white. It was strange, because none of the adults seemed to be wearing the same face paint as the children. There was a squaw near the large campfire, which was just beginning to come into view, who was roasting hunks of meat on a stick and passing other sticks of meat to the other tribespeople. The children ran towards the squaw and tore away with their meal, ripping chunks of chewy venison with their teeth as they ran and screamed, playing some kind of game. It looked like a war game.

There were those with grey and silver hair seated near the tepees, and she took them to be elders of the tribe. They were talking to each other in soft murmurs, their voices hushed in comparison to the loud cacophony of the children. One of them looked up at her, and the rest of them all turned to stare, their beady brown eyes watching her with a hawk-like intent reminiscent of the rest of the tribe. The force of their gaze did not diminish with age. She resisted the urge to bow her head and quickened her pace, catching up with Len, who was already quite some distance ahead of her.

There were so many people here, more people than she was used to interacting with. She had dropped out from high school when she was sixteen, so it had been a while since she had to see so many people – she was used to huddling in her room, doing her own things. Sure, she saw crowds on sites and videos, but she never had to be there physically. She remembered when she was sixteen. It was a bad year for her, the year she convinced herself that people were innately _bad_ and there was nothing anyone could do about it, not even her with her shadow monsters and whispered ideals. The crazy daughter of a drunkard couldn't do anything – not even protect herself from people who would wish her harm, because she was powerless despite her craziness, and her lunacy gave her no strength. So she retreated into herself, and she had been hiding within her own mind ever since.

She did not move to touch the dagger by her hip, which miraculously had not been lost during her turmoil in the river, but was comforted by the feeling of the blade against her skin, rubbing against her thigh with every shaky limp. She was getting used to the pain, and she knew it would not be long before she could finally rest. It helped, comforting herself with the fact that it was only sprained, and not broken. Things could be a lot worse. She looked up, and saw Len and Tiger Lily ducking into a large tent in the centre of the camp, some distance away from the giant campfire. She hopped forward frantically, not wanting to miss out on anything important, and managed to close the distance between them within half a minute or so – she was quite proud of her feat, actually.

The tent was dark, but there was some light radiating in from a flap at the side, so it wasn't so dark that she could not see anything. Her nose wrinkled as she got used to her surroundings – the air reeked of sour sickness, and the raspy coughs of someone pierced the air, drawing her attention. "It's Peter…Pan," an old, wavering voice croaked, and she craned her neck, looking towards the source of the voice. She saw Tiger Lily standing a little distance away from a mat on the ground, with Len crouching down right next to it. There was someone lying on the mat – it had to be Silver Winds.

"Yes," Len murmured, attention focused solely on the old woman. One of his hands was gripping the old soothsayer's wrinkled ones, the other hand gripping tightly on to the bottle he brought here. "This will help you live through a few more months, but you know there is a limit to what I can do," he uncorked the bottle, gently holding the neck of it to the old woman's lips. Miku glanced at Tiger Lily to see her reaction to this, but the princess seemed indifferent, watching the proceedings with no visible emotion on her face. "I would think it is best for you to find an heir soon," he continued.

The old woman swallowed feebly, but as she continued to drink from the bottle, Miku could see her regaining some semblance of energy. Eventually, the bottle was emptied, and by then Silver Winds had the energy to sit up. Len helped her as she struggled into a sitting position, supporting her back while she coughed and spluttered, a wet cough that sounded… _sick_. Miku could tell she was dying soon, and wondered how old she was. She was a mass of wrinkles within wrinkles, her beetle-like eyes bright and sharp, the only thing about her that seemed to be young or vibrant.

"You," the old voice rasped, and she jumped, stumbling a little on her bad leg – her lips parted as she realised that Silver Winds was staring right at her, her shrivelled arm pointed right at her. "Come here, child," she continued, already sounding noticeably better than before she drank whatever Len had given her. Cautiously, Miku approached the woman, painfully aware of Len and Tiger Lily's gazes on her. The throbbing in her ankle had become almost dull, a lingering annoyance rather than a sharp, demanding pain. Had her ability to heal sped up already, like the Lost Boys? Or was she just getting used to the pain? Silver Wind's surprisingly strong fingers latched on to her wrist and the old woman pulled her down, forcing Miku to collapse to her knees. Her breath froze as Silver Winds stared right into her, her other hand reaching out towards her face. Miku resisted the urge to withdraw from the searching hand with the dry, powdery skin. The cooler touch of the old woman's fingers felt almost intrusive, and she flinched when Silver Wind's pinched her cheek.

"You are _empty_ ," the soothsayer breathed, her voice low and wavering, and immensely quiet – as though she wanted only Miku to hear what she said. But Miku was sure Len and Tiger Lily could hear the old woman just fine, since they were both so close by. "You are a shell, an unknown. When I see you, all there is left is darkness," she rasped, her wrinkled fingers slowly moving up to stroke Miku's dripping hair. Her hair, being so much longer than Len's, needed a much longer time to dry. Again, the feeling of powdery skin against her scalp made her shudder. She wasn't sure why she had such a bad feeling about this, but she didn't like what was going on at all. Something within her seemed to react to those words, and it wasn't in a pleasant way…she felt almost defensive. Hostile. Like she was being told truths she didn't want to hear. But Silver Winds didn't even say anything concrete…

"What do you mean?" Len asked beside her, voice low and urgent. Miku glanced at him – he was focused entirely on the old woman, but she saw that his fingers were clenched into fists by his side. The pale skin stretched out over his knuckles, white and tense. The old woman released her, and she clambered away as quickly as her ankle permitted. She suddenly felt suffocated in this tent, as though the old woman had wrapped an invisible noose around her neck and was tightening it with each second she spent around her. Unconsciously, her hand reached up towards her neck, her fingers curling and uncurling. She swore her throat burnt, but when touched her skin was smooth.

"You are…obsessed," Silver Winds coughed then, a long and sickly coughing fit. Miku winced at the sound of rattling phlegm. "Obsessed with the unknown. In your consciousness, you are aware," she coughed again, and Miku noticed Len's lip curling, probably in impatience. "You must awaken!" she proclaimed, ending with yet another coughing fit. Miku's skin crawled, and she wondered whether coming all the way to the Red Indian territory had really been a good idea. The soothsayer gave her a bad feeling, plus it was clear that the old woman was terribly sick. Maybe they shouldn't have come to bother her in the first place. Then they wouldn't be hearing all these cryptic warnings either.

It made her wonder whether the old woman was driven mad by illness, but she knew that she was the one person in this tent who had no right to claim that another person was insane, or judge them because of it. Since she herself was considered a lunatic too. And maybe Silver Winds was right about her being empty. Honestly, what did she have to live for? She, who had willingly come along with Len although she knew that the barren fields of Neverland had absolutely nothing to offer her.

"You should leave," she jerked upright when she heard a low, stern voice sound near her head, whipping her head around so fast that she thought she might have whiplash. Megurine Luka was standing right behind her, leaning down so that she was speaking right into her ear. Her blue eyes were frosty cold. "You are clearly agitating Silver Winds. It does not matter to me whether you or Pan get your answers from tonight, but our soothsayer's health is important for my tribe. I am afraid I have to ask you to leave, else neither of you will get the answers you seek, and Silver Winds' health will further suffer. There is nothing more for you to offer here," Miku wanted to protest, but a little voice in the back of her mind asked if she _really_ wanted to stay here any longer – she glanced at Silver Winds again, who was clutching at Len and making low, guttural groans. She sounded like she was in pain. Miku decided that she didn't want to stay in this strange place any longer and nodded, clambering up to follow the princess out of the tent. She turned back right before she ducked out.

Len was staring at her, his arms in Silver Wind's grip as she moaned something about being lost. She looked right at him for a few seconds, remembering that he told her not to go anywhere without him, and starting to wonder if just following the princess so trustingly was such a good idea. Len slowly nodded, as though giving her permission to leave, and feeling a little relieved she pushed the flap aside and walked out into the open air. The subtle grip around her neck eased, and she felt like she could breathe again, happily taking in a whole lungful of air. There was something about the dark, beady eyes of the soothsayer, those two bright eyes that lay sunken in a mass of wrinkles and dry, creased skin, that made her feel like…like she didn't belong, like she wasn't meant to be here.

The tribe's princess was waiting for her, so coldly beautiful that she wanted to flinch away from her. She had long, slightly wavy hair that fell thick and silky to her hips, and she wore an elaborate headdress with tall, slender dark-tipped white feathers. Her cheeks had two streaks of red each, and another black streak stretched from one corner of each eye to the other, reminding Miku of very thick eyeliner. But there was nothing about the face paint that spoke of culture or civility, unlike makeup – it was quite evident that this was not worn to enhance her beauty, but rather to signify something. She wondered what it meant, and why no one else other than the children wore the same kind of face paint. "You're new," the princess stated, her voice calm and removed. She looked down at Miku like she was some insect she had accidentally stepped on. "Why was a girl chosen?"

"I'm sorry?" Miku blinked, stuttering as she tried to speak as politely as she could. She was, after all, dealing with a princess, and she was fairly sure that Megurine Luka would order her killed or grievously injured if she was offended in any way – she remembered the hints the Lost Boys had dropped about the princess and Piko, and knew that this tall, statuesque beauty was the reason for Piko's various injuries every few weeks. Not that she had actually seen Utatane Piko get injured yet.

"You understood me," the older girl narrowed her eyes. "Why was a girl chosen instead of a boy this time? You must mean something to Pan, and I'm determined to find out what it is. You are the first girl to ever join Pan and his group of runaways, and every person who joins is special in one way or another. So what's so special about you?" the princess tilted her head, studying her almost condescendingly. Miku resisted the urge to squirm, instead looking away at the rest of the campsite.

The Red Indians were still bustling around with their own business, though she could tell that they were beginning to wind down for the night. It was quite the opposite of the Lost Boys, who only emerged from underground when the evening came. The Red Indians followed a more diurnal lifestyle, it seemed – though it wasn't that surprising, given that they seemed to receive a lot more light from the sun than the Lost Boys did. The children were being called over by one of the older women, and as they scampered over to her, she grabbed each child and scrubbed the face paint off their faces, dipping her hands into a clay bowl whenever her skin became stained. Some of the children seemed reluctant to have the paint removed, but all of them went through it without fuss.

The campfire was still roaring, the dancing flames blazing away. She could feel the heat on her face, evaporating the water that still dripped from her hair and her clothes. The warmth was a nice change from the cold discomfort she was put through the past couple of hours. The fire didn't show any signs of dying down, and she wondered if it was meant to burn through the night, all the way till morning. Maybe the Red Indians used the fire as a way to keep away wild animals, since their lands were filled with dangerous beasts and, unlike the Lost Boys, they did not live underground and were thus open and vulnerable to attack. Some of the tribe still shot her curious looks, but generally most of them seemed used to their presence by now and treated her like she was pretty much invisible.

"I don't think there's anything particularly special about me, other than the fact that I had little left to live for," she answered as honestly as she could. She knew that she wasn't considered sane by most people, but that hardly seemed like something… _special_. Nor did she want the princess to think she was a dangerous lunatic and kick her out of the camp before Len was done with his meeting. "And I guess that being the only girl in a group of boys makes me pretty special as well?" she added as an afterthought, the upward inflection in her words making the statement sound more like a question.

Tiger Lily raised an eyebrow, looking almost scornful. "I highly doubt that it's as simple as that. But no matter, _you_ don't interest me so much as their weaknesses do. It'd be nice to have some leverage against the other territories…" she glanced at Miku, who was openly gaping back at her. "I don't care even if you tell your leader about what I just said," she added, "since Kagamine Len does the exact same thing, digging around for secrets…we all just want the best for our people, isn't it?"

She didn't know what to say in response to that, so she kept quiet. There was nothing but silence between them for a while. It wasn't the comfortable kind of silence she was used to with Gumo, or even the semi-awkward kind she shared with Piko. It was the kind of silence that made her fidget, and the looks Tiger Lily shot her seemed almost like claws raking down her back. When Tiger Lily finally spoke again, she instinctively cringed, her shoulders hunching – being alone with her made her feel so tense. "Silver Winds called you empty. It's not a good thing, you know," the princess tilted her head, her long pink hair draped over her shoulders. "In our tribe, we see _empty_ people every once in a while. We don't usually see them for long after the soothsayer calls them that."

"And why not?" Miku asked quietly, somehow already knowing the answer. Somehow, she could tell that being empty wasn't a good thing – she saw it in the way Silver Winds stared at her, and in the way the princess spoke to her now. There was something ominous in those words, as though being empty was a state much like unconsciousness or tiredness…like it was an actual physical state of the body, not a mere metaphor. Miku could already tell that whatever being empty signified, she wasn't going to like it. Tiger Lily remained silent for a moment, as though weighing her options – it wouldn't surprise Miku if she really was, actually. She seemed like the kind of person who would withhold important information so she would have something to bargain with at a later point in time.

"I'm only telling you because you don't irritate me as much as the…rest of your group do," Tiger Lily finally said, sounding almost bored. Maybe she was bored, since Miku probably seemed powerless and unworthy of her time. "Those who are empty die, you see," the princess continued. Her eyes widened at those words, her breathing suddenly irregular. Did she just mishear the princess? "It's like a state they're in, almost…those people who have nothing left to live for. They don't _die_ because of age or illness or hunger…no, they kill themselves," Tiger Lily's lips curled in disdain. "Throwing their lives away because they can't think of anything better to do with what they've been given. The empty ones disgust me the most, and I have no regrets knowing that they probably turned into the walking dead in the Lost Valley of Souls. They aren't even worth being sacrificed to the elders," Tiger Lily smiled sweetly at Miku, who was finding it difficult to breathe properly. "But you're not of our tribe, so maybe it means something different for you. It's just something you have to find out."

"I'm not about to kill myself," she said, perhaps a little too loudly – a few of the tribe who were standing nearby looked up at her curiously, but Tiger Lily shot them a look and they turned away, back to minding their own business. "If I wanted to get myself killed I wouldn't be training with the Lost Boys and learning how to survive in Neverland," she argued, more for her own benefit than for the princess. Tiger Lily cocked her head, studying her with an intensity that made her feel vaguely uncomfortable. It did not help that the princess was noticeably taller than Miku was – it made her feel like the princess was looking down on her, both literally and figuratively.

"If you didn't wish to die, Lost Child, then why did you come to Neverland to begin with?" that simple question left Miku stunned, and the princess smiled, reaching out lightly to touch her shoulder. For once, her smile did not feel fake or superior – it was almost genuine, but in such a situation it only made Miku feel worse. The princess turned and walked back deeper into the camp, leaving her alone to think about her words. What she said was very true, come to think of it. Why had she chosen to come to Neverland, knowing the dangers of the place and what fate she would meet there? She thought it would be nice to run away to a place where she might not be seen as crazy. She thought she might be running away from her nightmares. But was the reason really that innocent, or did something in her subconscious yearn for a darker ending? She swallowed.

She couldn't tell, maybe because she was too frightened now to acknowledge the truth of her desires. She would think about it later – she told herself that being this frightened of dying _surely_ meant that she wasn't suicidal. But, just to keep her mind off such morbid thoughts, she decided to take a walk alone through the camp first. Maybe that would help her distracted mind settle.


	27. Chapter 27

"Give us a clue that you're there if you want to talk to us, for God's sake," Nero snapped, his arms folded across his chest. Gumo simply stared at the newcomer, his eyes wide with surprise. The woman smiled, inclining her head. Her long brown hair rippled across her bare shoulders, looking slightly damp under the faint light of the moon. The mermaid queen seemed almost amused.

"I thought the Lost Boys were sensitive enough to external stimuli. I made enough noise while walking to announce my arrival – it's not my fault if you didn't manage to hear me in the forest," she pointed out, those dark brown eyes glinting with forbidden knowledge. Nero gritted his teeth, obviously annoyed about her retort, but Gumo placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. Nero glanced back at Gumo, but he backed down a little, giving the woman a chance to speak.

She gave Gumo a nod of appreciation. "I just thought that your leader would appreciate what I have to say. I am aware that he has been searching for a solution to your _kararehe_ problem for a while, so it's a pleasure to inform you that we have grown aware of the location of the water beasts. Their power, if you are able to make such an alliance, would no doubt douse the flames. There is just one catch though…" she lifted a finger as Nero started forward excitedly, eager about her information.

Gumo lunged out, catching hold of his fellow Lost Boy once more. "What's the catch? You want to grant us a wish?" he asked placidly. It sounded like a completely normal thing to say, but the very implication of his words hung in the air between them, and suddenly the surroundings seemed cold. Cold and damp, like a dead fish. It was an eerie kind of sensation, and Nero could feel it too, the dark and forbidden words lingering around them, trying to pull them into a deadly embrace. The woman simply smiled in return, shaking her head. Nero didn't know what he was more shocked by, the fact that she was rejecting a wish or that she had even given them such an offer in the first place.

After all, none of the Lost Boys got along particularly well with the mermaids, especially ever since Len killed Myariah. Of course, none of the Lost Boys mourned the mermaid's passing, but they did not think their queen would take it as well as they did. Syrena pursed her lips, her gaze flitting between each of them. "I seek not a wish. Why would I want to grant you a wish? Contrary to what you think, we mermaids do not crave human flesh all the time. And I certainly see no appeal in _your_ flesh. Stringy and tough…no, what we seek is something else," at this, Syrena hesitated. Nero raised an eyebrow, quite tempted to break free from Gumo and reach over to the mermaid queen, shaking her hard so she would get on with it. But she would probably retaliate at that, and none of them knew the true extent of Syrena's powers. Nero most certainly did not want to be the Lost Boys' guinea pig.

"You know we don't have much to offer you," Gumo interrupted, exchanging a glance with the older Lost Boy. "But I think you understand that if we die, so do you. The _kararehe_ will likely ravage every part of our territory, and that includes the lagoon you and your sisters reside in. Telling us the information you have on hand would only be beneficial for both of us," he pointed out, making quite a bit of sense for once. Nero seldom saw Gumo drawing logical conclusions, so hearing him mention something like this was new. Syrena bowed her head in something almost like acknowledgement.

"You speak correctly. But my sisters and I are long used to oppression," she shrugged her slim shoulders. The mermaid queen was extremely pale, even paler than Miku, and she glowed in the darkness, looking like she was made out of moonlight. "I do not ask for much. I simply request an audience with your leader…with Kagamine Len. I will talk to him, and solely him, about what I want to know. For all we desire is knowledge," Syrena hesitated, "and I'm sure he has the answers to my little question. After all, he is Peter Pan, is he not? The omniscient, all-seeing eternal youth."

"Meeting with Len is one thing," Nero said slowly, exchanging yet another look with Gumo, "but the problem is that he isn't around at the moment. He went to the Red Indian territory," he added, noticing the questioning look on Syrena's face. "It might be a few more days before he comes back here, so if you really want to talk to him you'll just have to wait," he shrugged. "And now, before you say anything else that doesn't include immediately divulging the information to us…well, Gumo and I have to go hunt. We're running low on food from the previous Hunt, so we're kind of busy," he didn't try to sound apologetic. Nero frankly didn't trust the mermaid at all, but it wouldn't hurt to find out what information she had to share. It was a pity she only wanted to reveal it to Len.

A faint look of distress flitted over the mermaid queen's face, but the emotion was gone as quickly as it came. "Oh…" her voice was low. "I see. Well, I guess my sisters and I just have to await his return, then. Unfortunately this issue that I need to speak to him about concerns the wellbeing of my people, and I cannot just let slip our secrets to anyone who asks, not even if you're a Lost Boy," her brown eyes regarded them carefully. Nero was barely able to suppress a snort at her words.

"I don't know what gives you the impression that we care, honestly," his tone was scathing. "Your lot have been trying to get us to make a wish for years and years. I can truthfully tell you that I am sick of your bullshit," Gumo shushed him, tugging on Nero's shoulder again, and Nero sighed plaintively, closing his mouth as he allowed the green haired boy to tow him along. Ever the friendlier of the two, Gumo turned around and waved farewell at the mermaid queen – she looked lost and forlorn, standing in the middle of the forest and so _completely_ out of her element – before they ducked into a patch of thick shrubbery and they saw her no more. Nero shrugged Gumo off at that moment.

"What's your problem? We don't need to be fucking _nice_ to her. She and her sisters have been trying to eat us every opportunity they get. Are you seriously pitying her?" Nero demanded, folding his arms as he stared down at Gumo. Gumo was looking down at the forest floor, fidgeting from foot to foot, and as the boy kept quiet Nero's impatience grew. "Cat got your tongue? Open your damn mouth and answer me, Gumo – or I swear, I'll cut open your head to see what's in that brain of yours."

"It's not nice to be mean to her, okay?" Gumo interjected, possibly truly afraid that Nero would cut his head open. "I know she eats people and she's a mermaid and everything, but when you told her that you didn't care at all about her problems, she looked…she looked human. And she kind of reminded me of my mum," Gumo's voice became very small, and Nero had to strain a little to hear what he was saying. "She was wearing that same look of disappointment I saw my mum wearing, the night before I came here. And I thought, well, I didn't want to see her looking like that, you know. It's bad enough that I can never see my mum again," he swallowed, "so I don't want to see her cry."

Nero rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Okay, first of all Syrena is _not_ a human woman and she probably can't cry. If she ever cries I bet they'll be tears of blood," he threw his hands up, raking one furiously through his blond hair. "Secondly…you have to stop being a sentimental prick, Gumo. When you get all weepy like that, you are honestly very irritating. Yeah, we all miss our childhoods," he got quiet at this, thinking his words over. "No, actually only you miss your childhood, and maybe Piko…I don't know, Piko never really had a childhood. _You're_ the only one who is moping on about your parents. And while I do understand that you feel bad about what you did, you can't do anything to _change_ your situation. You need to stop seeing your mother everywhere. It's not going to bring her here."

Gumo looked like he was ready to tear up. If he really did, Nero wasn't entirely sure what he would do. He couldn't even stand the thought of comforting a girl when she cried, let alone one of the Lost Boys. "I know!" he raised his voice defensively. "But I'm not like Rei, I can't just…shove my emotions into a locked room and toss away the key. I miss my mother! It's been decades since I last saw her. And I know that Len isn't actually delivering my letters," Gumo suddenly confessed, much to Nero's surprise. He could feel his eyes widening. "I can tell, he actually dropped one of the envelopes once when he came back and I pocketed it before he noticed. I don't blame him, I actually understand somewhat why he's doing this but…it doesn't make it any better, really. And I don't know what my mum is doing now. I don't even know about my dad," he laughed shakily. "I want to know how my dad did, I never really bonded with him growing up but nowadays, I wonder about him, you know?"

Gumo felt ready to burst out of his skin. His emotions were extremely volatile at the moment, and he was having a difficult time restraining himself from leaping into the forest and just running, running and running without a clear direction in mind, running just to let off some steam. He already regretted speaking out to Nero, who was even less empathetic than Rei, and after his outburst he didn't quite dare to look the blond boy in the eye. Instead, he gritted his teeth and stared hard at the dark forest floor, breathing in and out and willing himself to stay calm, to stay rooted to the present.

It was thus a surprise when he felt Nero pat him slowly on the back. He glanced up at the older boy, and saw that Nero was staring off into the distance, his violet eyes surprisingly devoid of emotion. Nero was so spontaneous and his emotions were so fiercely vibrant that to see him as anything else felt odd. "At least you had parents," Nero smiled a little at his words, looking almost wistful now. "Me? I never knew who my parents were. I spent my whole life growing up being labelled as a freak, an outcast. I never fit in anywhere, you know – anywhere other than Neverland, with you lot. We're the little boys who lost sight of our hopes and dreams…we've lost our way, we're like the children following the Pied Piper to their demise and the funniest thing is that none of us are aware!"

"Do you think Miku feels the same way? Since she came here being older. Maybe she's the only one among us who never lost her way," Gumo pondered over Nero's strangely philosophical words, distracted enough to stop thinking about his mother for a moment. At Gumo's question, Nero groaned and stepped away from the younger boy, the moment of deep contemplation passing.

"Stop bringing her up. Just stop," he kneaded his forehead with his fingertips, closing his eyes. "If you talk about her one more time I'm hauling you back where we came from and throwing you into the river – maybe Syrena will save you since you like her so much," he threatened. But Gumo simply laughed the threat off and the two boys continued on their way deep into the thick forest, the familiar embrace of the dark trees welcoming them once more. Welcoming them home.

* * *

Miku had wandered all the way to the very edge of the campsite. Here, there were few people. It was very close to the wooden gate and she could see the dark forest beyond. Night had fallen over the Red Indian territory, and the giant fire lit everything up with a soft orange glow, bright embers dancing in the night sky. She fancied she could see eyes staring back at her from within the trees.

Those had to be border guards. She blinked, and the eyes were gone. Shrugging, she turned back and looked around, where the tribespeople were seated in various circles, each of them talking about different matters. She walked close to these circles. Some of them quietened when they saw her approaching, some of them stared at her for a while before resuming, and others completely ignored her presence and continued talking as though she was invisible. She cautiously approached one of these groups – it happened to be a group of elderly women, murmuring among themselves.

One of the women glanced up at her when she drew close, but she was ignored. She listened to their conversation, standing a little distance away from the group, and eventually managed to suss out what they were saying. "You have other descendants," one of the women was talking to another, her words calm and firm. The woman being spoken to was holding her head in her hands, her skin creased and wrinkly. She looked old, maybe as old as Silver Winds was. Her hair was silvery with just the slightest hint of red, and as the silver caught the glint of the firelight it seemed almost orangey.

"That's not important to me," she looked up from her knees then, retorting sharply. Miku blinked, curious about the conversation, and leant slightly closer so she would have an easier time listening to them. "That's important to Silver Winds and to our tribe as a whole. She was groomed all her life to be Silver Winds' heir – now one is dying and the other is gone. What are we to do now?" she demanded, looking around the group of women with a gaze that was almost hostile. They muttered among themselves, clearly uneasy about this topic. Miku had to wonder what she was referring to.

Len had also suggested to Silver Winds that she ought to find a descendant. She had not thought very much about it when he first mentioned it, but this group of elderly women seemed to be talking about the same thing. The first woman spoke again, this time looking distinctly uncomfortable. "We will just have to make do. And maybe Peter Pan and his lot will be able to extend her lifespan for just a while longer…enough for us to get our affairs in order," the woman she was talking to glanced at Miku then, their eye contact lasting for just a fraction of a second before she looked back at the group. Miku was frowning, thinking about what she had just heard. _Peter Pan…extend her lifespan_?

How could Len do anything to help a dying woman? But then her memory flashed back to the flask he had brought for Silver Winds, and how the soothsayer had shown a noticeable improvement after she had downed the contents of the bottle. She had not known what was inside the flask since just touching the outside of the container shocked her, but now she was curious about the contents. At the same time, she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to know what Len had fed the old woman. The more she heard, the less she found herself knowing, and if she was told about this mysterious elixir which could apparently make someone live longer, would it just make her even more confused?

She did not really want Silver Winds to live much longer. It was a terrible thing to say or even admit to herself, but the old woman unnerved her. She couldn't shake that terrible warning out of her head – what the old woman said, what the princess said. She didn't want to die or kill herself, she knew she didn't, and she hated how mere words could make her question her state of mind and her reason for existence. Letting out a quiet sigh, she returned to the present and retreated from the group, continuing to walk through the camp, looking around every so often at that old woman with the silvery-red hair. She was the only one who had really paid her any attention, and there was something remarkably striking about her. It wasn't just the hair. She seemed almost…familiar.

It was like she had seen the same long hair and the same defiant eyes before, though the old woman's eyes were lined with age and worry and her mouth was hard and firm, clear signs of struggle and hardship. She continued on her way, her progress slow as she hobbled across the hard, compacted earth of the campsite. There were still a few children out and about, though they were mostly the older ones – it appeared that the young children had already been put to sleep. She watched them for a while, watched the children laughing and clapping as two boys leapt gracefully back and forth at each other, clearly trying to impress the others. Were they fighting? It was a remarkably graceful way to fight, looking more like an intricate dance. Their elegance reminded her of Len.

Her thoughts returned to the blond haired boy. He had been in the tent with Silver Winds for a while already. She didn't know how long, but it had certainly been enough for the twilight sky to darken into black, the inky familiar darkness of night she normally associated with Neverland. When she looked up, she could actually see a few stars, and that was nice. It was comforting and unspeakably familiar, since in their territory she could barely see the stars. The trees and foliage were too dense, only allowing the barest hints of silvery moonlight to shine through the interlocking branches and leaves. Her ankle throbbed demandingly, but she ignored it – perhaps if she ignored the pain for long enough, it would go away and she would be perfectly healed again. But that was wishful thinking.

Her gaze drifted to the large tent from which she had escaped, where Len and Silver Winds were no doubt conferring in hushed whispers about what to do for their future, and what Len could do to save his Lost Children. The tent was a lot larger than she first though it to be, now that she could look at it calmly instead of rushing towards it like someone possessed. It was one of the largest in the camp and there were red and blue strips around the tent, instead of just patchy canvas like the ones she saw. A lot more effort had been put into creating this tent than the others; that was clear.

As she idly watched the tent, she saw from the corner of her eyes a man approaching. He had pink hair like Tiger Lily's and as she turned to look at him she saw he had bright green eyes, almost acidic. He certainly looked like he was an older man – at the very least, he looked older than her – but at the same time there was something almost ageless about this person, and that made her hesitate when it came to guessing his age. She couldn't place him anywhere. He looked like he could be in his late twenties or his mid-forties. His skin, from here, looked smooth and even, but his eyes were guarded and his lips were pressed together into a thin line, the look of someone who had seen plenty.

He was walking right towards her. She stayed where she was, and finally he was standing right in front of her, looking down at her with an unidentifiable expression on his face. It was either a look of disapproval or respect, she couldn't tell. His arms were folded right in front of his chest. Another thing she had noticed, while this man was walking here, was that he was wearing tribal face paint that was very similar to Tiger Lily's, except where her streaks were red, this man's were blue. "You are the new one," he spoke with that strange, lilting accent the Red Indians all seemed to have. She had noticed it before when Tiger Lily spoke, but with this man it was decidedly more pronounced. "The new child Kagamine Len has taken in. And it is strange indeed," the man paused and stared at her, making her feel like she had committed a crime of some sort, "that you are not a boy."

"Is there a rule against the Lost Children being female?" she asked, unable to help herself. She didn't know whether she found this man rude or not. He certainly didn't sound accusatory or mean unlike Tiger Lily, but something about how straightforward he was made her feel attacked. Or maybe it was just his very presence. He had this sort of _aura_. It was hard to explain, but she wanted to bow to him and at the same time she wanted to spit at his feet. Whatever it was, she was sure he was of some status within the tribe. If he wore face paint just like Tiger Lily's, then it probably meant something.

"Not particularly, but everyone always assumed that the Children would be male. How could Peter Pan expect to raise a child who is so different from himself?" the man didn't seem to mind her question. "I expect you have met my daughter. She was the one who found me in the forest and told me to return to camp, since Kagamine Len has arrived and brought a new Child with him. Needless to say, we accept your arrival, but we warn you not to overstep your welcome," the man smiled. It wasn't a very friendly smile, but she forced herself to smile back at him, refusing to be cowed by a man she did not know. She had enough of being intimidated by Nero, and she would not allow some stranger to frighten her into grovelling, even if he _was_ a native in this territory and she was not.

"Father," a girl called out from behind her, and Miku turned to see Tiger Lily approaching them, headed towards the man standing before her. She whipped back around to stare at the man, her eyes widening in shock – this man was the king of the tribe? But how was that possible? He looked so young, and he had a daughter who was clearly already an adult. The princess stopped next to her, and she regarded Miku with those icy blue eyes, once again making her think that the princess thought of her as an eyesore and couldn't wait to kick Miku out of the camp. "Kagamine Len is still with Silver Winds, inside the tent. It's getting late, and I fear she might be tired by now. I would ask him to leave myself, but…you know, I can't," she shrugged. The man nodded, no longer paying Miku any attention – it was as though she was once again invisible. But she was thankful for that.

She stared between the man and the princess, trying to comprehend how _this_ man could possibly be her father, not when he looked so young and she was already…well, not exactly old, but old enough. Were the Red Indians human? Or were their leaders special and were somehow capable of defying the normal ageing process? "All right, I will ask him to keep his audience with Silver Winds short. Luka, stay here and attend to our guest," the man waved his hand at Miku, who started when he glanced at her. "I don't want her to wander around in the camp. She might hear something that we do not wish for strangers to hear. Some of the old squaws here have remarkably loose tongues…" he looked away towards the rest of the camp, and Miku found herself wondering if he had seen her eavesdropping on the group of elderly women who had been discussing Silver Winds' future heir.

"I understand. I will not let her wander freely," Luka promised, looking at her with a small smile on her face and a glint in her blue eyes that made Miku feel extremely uncomfortable. It had been bad enough facing this man, whose agelessness and lack of introduction made her feel slightly uneasy. But she hadn't been feeling quite right ever since she left the tent – no, she hadn't relaxed ever since she stepped into the camp. She hadn't been able to let her guard down the very moment she came to Neverland. It was as if time had stopped, and she was stuck in this giant hamster wheel of time, always running but unknowingly stuck at the same place, unable to move forwards or backwards.

The man turned and strode off towards the giant tent where Len was, and she was stuck with the princess once more. This time it was worse since she knew the princess probably wouldn't leave her alone until Len was out of the tent. "That was my father," Luka offered, with a hint of pride in her voice. But of course she would be proud. She probably wanted to show him off or something because Miku doubted that Tiger Lily would have spoken to her at all, otherwise. "He's the Panther of the Red Indians – our king, to those like you who are unfamiliar with our titles. And he's a lot older than he looks," Miku thought she saw a strange smile cross her lips for just a few seconds, but when she next looked the girl's face was as coldly blank as before. Perhaps she had just imagined the smile.

"That's nice," she responded, not knowing what else to say. Tiger Lily's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything in response and for a while, the two of them just stood there in silence. She didn't think she would be allowed to go inside the tent since Tiger Lily was the one who asked her to leave, so she just stood next to the taller girl and hoped that Len would come out soon. The Red Indians were all retiring for the night now, and only a few people still remained outside, talking quietly or gathering blankets or generally doing their own nightly routines. The fire was still burning strongly, and she felt almost completely dry, though the uncomfortable dampness of her clothes still lingered, a reminder of how she almost drowned. Where the clothes touched, her skin was cold.

Suddenly, she heard a guttural shriek echo throughout the camp, and the sound appeared to come from the large tent the king just entered. The shriek made her jump, and a few tribespeople stuck their heads out of their tents, clearly roused by the commotion, but Tiger Lily reacted quickly and stepped forward towards the campfire, expression hard and her two hands raised before her, palms facing outwards. Even Miku could recognise it as a signal to stop, and the other Red Indians retreated back into their tents, though she did not miss the look of anxiety – or perhaps even fear – on their faces as they went back into the safety of their shelters. Miku was afraid to ask.

"What's going on?" she hesitantly approached the princess, who was still standing away from her with her hands outstretched. At the question, Tiger Lily let her hands drop back to her side and turned around to face her – for once, there was something more than icy indifference in her expression, but that sudden change in emotion did not reassure Miku. The fear on the princess's face was much too similar to that of the other tribespeople. The shriek came again, this time long and drawn-out, but it got softer and softer and eventually tapered away into silence. Luka flinched.

"She's agitated. Maybe someone is trying to communicate…but she's too old!" Tiger Lily muttered, more to herself than to Miku. Without another word the princess turned and strode off towards the tent, her long legs helping her to cover the distance much faster than Miku. Miku, who assumed that this gave her the permission to follow, hobbled along behind the princess though half of her didn't really want to get involved in this. Anything to do with the elderly soothsayer gave her the chills, and she still couldn't get those beady eyes out of her memory, trained on her as she proclaimed Miku to be suicidal.

Before she or Tiger Lily could reach the tent, however, Len burst out of it, his blond hair in wild disarray and a look of sheer confusion on his face. His satchel was no longer with him. The king came out shortly after Len, his expression grim. When he saw Tiger Lily, he nodded once and Miku saw the girl gasp, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth. "Gone?" Tiger Lily croaked, Miku having limped close enough to hear her. The king nodded again, this time looking impassive, and the princess buried her face in her hands, long pink hair forming a curtain to hide her face. It was a rare show of emotion and Miku felt strange looking at Tiger Lily behave this way, so she glanced at her leader, a familiar and welcome face. Len looked shell-shocked, and when he met her gaze, he blinked a few times and walked over towards her, his movements slow and uncertain. She held herself still.

Almost dazedly, he reached towards her and, without a single word, he pulled her towards him, wrapping her in a hug of sorts. It wasn't _really_ a hug, it was more of an awkward, one-handed embrace, but she could feel him trembling and hesitantly, she patted his back, wondering what he had seen that would make him act this way. He was so confident and self-assured; whatever happened in that tent must have been terrible to shake him so. "We will need to hold a ceremony for her tomorrow, at first light. Then…then we will see what else we can do," she looked up at the king, who was talking to his daughter – Tiger Lily still had her face hidden, but Miku saw her nod.

"Are you all right?" she tested, hoping Len wasn't so shocked that he couldn't hear her. He nodded stiffly, letting go of her as he did so. One of his hands rubbed his other arm slowly, his blue eyes trained on something in the distance behind her. She glanced around, trying to see what he was looking at – from here, she had a direct line of vision into the forest beyond, and she fancied that she saw the exact same pair of eyes she had seen earlier look right back at her, cautious and waiting. She blinked, and the eyes were gone, so she couldn't be sure if she was imagining things.

"I just saw something that brought back bad memories. That's all," he finally responded, making her turn back to look at him. He seemed more like himself now, albeit slightly shaken, and he withdrew from her, both arms falling limp at his side. "She passed on in the most terrible way…it was like she was fighting to stay here, fighting some incorporeal beast none of us could see, and you could see the life draining away from her. She drowned in her own blood," his blue eyes were hooded. "It is a painful death, you know – drowning, I mean," he frowned, then shook himself slightly. "Well, forget what I said. I know where the water _kararehe_ dwell now – but Silver Winds was unable to confirm for sure my theory about Rei's possession. She says it's a possibility though, what I was considering," Len seemed to be rambling to himself now, forgetting entirely about her presence, but she didn't interrupt him. She almost understood this state of helplessness and knew that interrupting him would just make matters worse. So for now, she held her tongue and restrained her curiosity.

"You two have to leave. I'm sorry that we cannot further extend our hospitality to you, but what follows now is quite a private ritual and it would be…inconvenient if outsiders witness it. I hope you understand," the king spoke to them then, having walked over while she was distracted. She glanced around at him – he was tall and, with his back against the campfire, his face was a shadow. Len just nodded again, but the way he did so made her think that he wasn't fully thinking about his actions. Was he grieving? She couldn't be sure, but it didn't really seem like grief. More like…some kind of shocked nostalgia, or maybe a bad memory. She didn't think Len would grieve for Silver Winds.

It was just a bother because now they would have to find somewhere to sleep for the night. She really didn't want to make the trip back to their territory now, not when it was so dark, and she hoped that Len wouldn't insist on hurrying home as soon as possible either. "Who will be your soothsayer now then?" Len spoke abruptly, jolting her out of her thoughts, and she saw the king stiffen at the question. Maybe it was too sensitive. She didn't think he was going to answer, but after a long pause the king straightened his back and stared at Len, who just looked expressionlessly back at him. But wasn't there no heir? She had heard enough from other people to understand that.

"Our heir is dead. She was Luka's cousin…the cousin or younger sibling of the princess always becomes the next soothsayer, so we don't know what to do now," the king admitted, much to her surprise. It was strange seeing him admit something like that to Len, something which could be taken as a weakness – after all, Tiger Lily had mentioned that every single territory always scrabbled for weaknesses and secrets, desperate to have an edge over the others. But then she registered what the king had said and she gasped, unable to help her reaction. The king glanced at her, curious.

"Is this cousin you speak of Furukawa Miki?" she asked, her heart racing in her chest. The girl with the red hair and the pinkish eyes who so proudly proclaimed she was related to Tiger Lily, the girl who had left them for dead at the edge of the Lost Valley of Souls…but she couldn't be dead. Miku had lain next to her and felt her body heat, heard her words and seen the changing expressions of her face. She was no zombie, she most certainly was alive. Yet the king had specifically stated that this cousin was dead – no, maybe she was jumping to conclusions. There could be more than one.

Len looked sharply at her when she said the name, probably coming to the same conclusion as well. The king frowned and exchanged a look with his daughter, who had shaken herself out of her grief and come over to stand with the king. Luka's blue eyes were steely as ever, and if Miku had not personally witnessed her grieving, she wouldn't think the princess had changed in any way at all. Tiger Lily reached up towards her father and whispered something in his ear, and the king murmured something else in exchange. The duo seemed to reach some kind of conclusion, for the king finally cleared his throat and regarded them almost imperiously. Miku bit her lip, suddenly very afraid.

"Yes, Furukawa Miki. I do not know how you came to know of her, she was a secret we thought we kept very well – maybe someone let it slip during the Hunt…but she was the next soothsayer. It all would have gone well, but we found her lying dead in the forests quite recently. In fact," the king frowned, "I think two days ago. There were marks all over her body…it looked like she was killed by a pack of wolves. We gave her to the Valley, as we do with all our dead. How do you know of her?"

Len and Miku exchanged a look, his of trepidation and hers of fear. She had always known that Neverland would be able to kill her – that in itself was nothing strange or exceptional. But to be able to bring someone back to life…now that was terrible. And the possibility of reviving after death, for some reason, frightened her more than anything else she had ever seen in this cursed nightmare.


	28. Chapter 28

"Calm down," Len hissed as she paced back and forth before him, her heart thundering away in her chest. She turned and shot him a look of absolute terror. Len was sitting up with his back against a tree, watching her idly. The Red Indians had provided them with two hammocks for the night, but neither of them were really able to sleep. At least Miku knew she wouldn't be able to sleep.

"How can I calm down?" she stopped pacing, turning to face him. Her hair had finally dried off, and it was warm and toasty with the fire blazing away – the Red Indians really did seem to keep their campfire going all night. She ought to appreciate the fact that she could finally get a nice warm rest, but the king's words still rang through her mind and prevented her from resting easy. "He said that she's dead! But she can't be dead! We just saw her – we saw her on the way here, didn't we?"

"There's probably a perfectly logical explanation for this…or at least, as logical as it can get in Neverland," Len yawned, his gaze slanting towards the campfire. Most of the Red Indians were asleep by now, though she still saw a few people standing around at the edges of the camp. They were probably guards or something. "I'm tired, Miku, and I can't possibly go to sleep with you walking around like this. You're making too much noise," he groused, closing his eyes. Miku wanted to glare at him, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She knew he was tired. They were both tired, but Len deserved the rest even more than she did. He hadn't slept properly in a very long time.

"I'm scared," she admitted in a quiet voice, suddenly aware of just how small she was compared to the forest around her. There was a wooden barricade around the whole camp, but she could see the dark forest stretching out beyond through the gaps in the wood, and she still thought she could feel someone watching her. She couldn't see the eyes she had noticed earlier anymore, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was observing her. Maybe it was one of the Red Indians, spying on her and Len, or maybe it was just her personal paranoia. Either way, she was very nervous.

One of Len's eyes opened lazily, and he pushed himself up from the ground, climbing up into the hammock the Red Indians had strung out for him. Her hammock was right next to his, but hers was slightly nearer to the forest and the wooden barricade than his, and that made her hesitant about sleeping there tonight. "I'm scared too, but I'm the leader and I can't show any fear," Len's words were as soft as hers. "If I do show my fear, then how can I lead? You're all terrified enough," he stretched out on the swinging hammock, gazing upwards. The night sky was visible, stars scattered throughout the inky darkness. "Look at how pretty the stars are," he marvelled. "You won't be able to see this when we're back in our own territory, so you ought to appreciate this while you can."

She looked up too. There were small clusters of stars all over the sky, but she didn't see any constellations she recognised. It really was lovely, though. She sighed and edged towards her hammock, which was a short distance away from his, but when she drew closer to his hammock, Len sat up and stared directly at her, bracing himself as the hammock swung back and forth. He let out a breath. "I know you're scared of sleeping near the forest. It's funny to be so exposed, isn't it? After we've slept underground all this time," his free arm stretched out towards her. "Come here, you can share my hammock for tonight. It'll make you feel better, right? Not having to sleep alone," he said.

She was surprised by his offer, but she was glad he suggested it too. She wouldn't feel so nervous if she could feel the presence of another person beside her. Carefully, she took hold of his hand and he tugged her upwards, helping her onto the hammock. The hammock sank lower but it didn't break, and Len let her lie on his chest, his arms wrapping carefully around her so that she wouldn't roll off the hammock onto the ground. She could feel his slow, steady heartbeat and she could hear his heart thumping against her ear. It was a comforting, soothing sound. She finally let her eyes close.

Len was grateful that her hair was no longer wet and that she had finally stopped making so much noise. It was nice to have a good rest for once. Once they left the camp in the morning, they would have to get home as soon as possible, and after that he would have to find the water _kararehe_. He would have done so on the way back since he could detour through the heart of Neverland, but he didn't want to bring Miku along with him and he didn't trust her to find her own way through their territory. Had it really only been two weeks since she came to Neverland? It felt like an eternity.

Tracking the days was a pain, but they didn't have a choice unless they wanted the Flame Wolves to catch them unawares. At least now, they had a decent chance of countering the attack – provided they could convince the water _kararehe_ to help them. After what Silver Winds told him about them, he was pretty nervous about meeting them at all, but it wasn't like he had any better options.

For now though, he would stop thinking so much about the future and take a well-deserved rest. He would need to have all his energy in order to get home as quickly as possible, especially with Miku in tow. He glanced down at the girl sleeping peacefully by his side, her head resting on his chest, and he reached up to stroke her hair, turning his gaze up towards the sky and looking at the stars. He hadn't seen so many stars in a while – the Hunt took place near the border of the Indian territory and he couldn't see much of the sky there either, since it was mostly forested area. The open sky here was almost nostalgic. It reminded him of Earth and how different Earth was from this hell.

Slowly, he let his eyes close. It had been a long day and he was really so tired. He would have a few hours of sleep before he finally had to wake up at dawn and start making his way back to the Lost Boys. Until then, he would let his dreams claim him, if he even managed to dream. It had been a long time since he last dreamt, and he wondered if that was a sign of anything. He missed his dreams.

* * *

There was bright light shining directly onto her face, something she was unused to – that had never happened to her while she was sleeping in the den, and it didn't happen back home either because she usually kept her curtains closed. Her eyes inched open, then she promptly shut them again.

It was way too bright. She hadn't seen so much sunlight in a while. In fact, the past two days she had probably seen more of the sun than she had in over a week. She kept her eyes closed, but she could feel a warm body next to her, breathing deep and slow, and suddenly she remembered that she was sharing a hammock with Len. She turned towards him and opened her eyes again, taking a peek at the sleeping boy. Len's face was, for once, completely smooth and clear. There was no frown or wrinkle of worry, and in that very moment he looked young and peaceful. It was nice to see him like that. Maybe he would be more relaxed after the month was over and the Flame Wolves were gone.

She couldn't help thinking that this hope was ridiculously optimistic, however. Even if they managed to fend off the _kararehe_ for a month, there was no promise that they wouldn't attack again some time later. But they would think about that problem when they reached that point. For now, she continued to lie there peacefully next to Len and wondered whether she ought to wake him up. He hadn't slept properly in a while and she felt bad if she just shook him awake like that. He deserved some rest, given how hard he had been working lately. So she closed her eyes and curled up against him once more, feeling the hammock sway just a little while she moved. Len was very warm.

Miku must have drifted off to sleep again, because suddenly she was being shaken awake by a firm hand and she groaned, peeking out at whoever had woken her up. Len was standing over her – he was no longer on the hammock, now that she noticed – and he was frowning down at her, the calm she had seen earlier gone entirely. "We've slept away a good part of the morning," he said tersely. "I'm really surprised that Tiger Lily hasn't come to kick us out, but I think she and the Panther are currently making the journey towards the Lost Valley of Souls to complete Silver Winds' mourning ritual. We need to get through that Valley before they notice us cutting through it. It's their sacred ground for the dead. Although they will allow us passage through it, they won't be happy about it…and anyway, the dead are sure to converge where they drop the body. We don't want to be there when it happens," she shuddered at his grim words, hastily getting off the hammock with his help.

Len no longer carried his satchel with him, probably deciding that he couldn't be bothered to bring it with him since it was empty. She had unfortunately lost her drinking bottle in the river, so she was worried about making the trek home – plus she felt a little guilty, since Len _had_ specially searched the Lost Valley of Souls for it when she dropped it the first time – but Len somehow managed to find one of the animal hide flasks the Red Indians carried around and gave it to her, telling her to stock up on water from the river before they crossed it. Miku found that miraculously, her ankle was almost completely recovered – she now only walked with the slightest limp, and she could probably cross the rocks on the way back now. She was thankful for that. The river had been the worst part of their journey.

It was surprising though, that her leg could heal so quickly. Something must be changing about her body in Neverland. Maybe there was something in the food or water here that made her stronger – she was certain her fighting abilities and her stamina wouldn't have grown at such an exponential rate on Earth too – but she didn't want to think too much about it. If she started asking about all these, Len would either ignore her questions or actually answer, and if he answered it would be a long, complicated answer about the mechanics of Neverland and the ebb of time or something like that. She was curious, but not _that_ curious, so she left the whole thing alone for the moment.

They made their way out of the camp, the Red Indians all watching them as they walked through the place but none of them making any attempt to stop them. It was only when they were leaving the main entrance did the guards actually halt them. "We think you should not leave until Tiger Lily has returned from mourning," one of the guards said in that strange accent unique to the Red Indians. "If she were to ask us where you went while she was away, and we say that we simply allowed you to depart from the camp, then she is sure to be displeased. We hope that you understand our point of view," one of the two guards bowed a little while he spoke. Len glanced at them, frowning.

"I understand, but I need to go back as quickly as I can. I'm sure that you know how long it takes to travel from your territory to mine," he answered, his tone calm though he certainly didn't look that way. The guards exchanged a look, and Miku wondered what they thought of their current situation.

"Do you have any message for us to pass to her?" the other guard finally spoke, perhaps deciding that they couldn't stop Len from leaving even if they tried. Miku knew they wouldn't be able to stop him. "At least that way she would know that we didn't just let you slip out of our camp without anyone seeing you leave. And giving her a proper farewell message would be a proper sign of respect too," the tribesman explained, his fellow guard nodding along. Len raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

"Well, do you have anything to say to Tiger Lily?" he asked. She blinked at him in surprise, wondering why he was asking her. Len shrugged. "I certainly don't have anything to say. I can't wait to get as far away from her as possible," he grumbled, much to her amusement. The guards remained stoic even though Len was talking about their princess. She wondered how they really felt about listening to them talk. Were they secretly offended, or did they actually agree with Len's apparent sentiments?

"Me…uh, I hope that you manage to find an heir to Silver Winds soon, and we bid you farewell?" she finally offered. Len nodded at her words and told the guards to pass on this exact message to Tiger Lily, to which they acquiesced. Then they parted and allowed her and Len to pass through the small, narrow main entrance, and then the two of them found themselves in the midst of the forest once more. It was far more welcoming in the daytime, where she could actually see the road before her.

"Your leg is better now, I assume?" Len asked as he led the way – as always, the path was so narrow that it would be impossible for both of them to walk side by side. Miku made a small noise of assent and she heard him exhale. "That's great. I won't have to carry you anymore then – but maybe I will in the Lost Valley," he mused, more to himself than to her. "Even completely recovered you won't be fast enough to keep up with me when I'm running, so it'd be better if I carry you there. I won't do the same for any other part of the journey, though," he warned her. "I'm tired enough as it is."

"I'm not _that_ lazy, you know," she retorted, narrowing her eyes at the back of his head. He just shrugged but didn't say anything else. They continued walking through the forest until she could hear the rushing river, the continuous roar instantly causing bad memories to resurface. She tensed and stopped in her tracks, suddenly unable to continue any further towards the river. Len continued to walk for a while, but when he no longer heard her footsteps behind him, he glanced around to find that Miku was rooted to the spot, her green eyes glazed over as she chewed on her bottom lip.

He exhaled and retraced his steps back to her, waving a hand in front of her face. "Stop spacing out," he snapped when she didn't respond. She blinked and lurched back, suddenly gasping like she couldn't breathe. Len looked back towards the road which would lead them to the river, and he guessed that Miku was still feeling too traumatised about her near-death experience to comfortably cross the river. "Are you scared of crossing?" he asked, just to be certain that it _was_ her nerves and not that she was having a vision or something. Anything was possible with Hatsune Miku, after all.

She nodded jerkily, her eyes fixed on his face. He wasn't too sure how to proceed now. He could probably bully her into crossing the river, but then he didn't want her to be so scared that she fell off the boulder and got swept into the river again. He didn't think he could take a second round in those currents. On the other hand, he wasn't good at encouraging people, and he didn't think he would be able to help her just get over her fear either. "Well, since your leg is better now you shouldn't have any problems crossing," he reasoned. "You saw how big the boulders are. The only difficult part is jumping and landing from rock to rock, but since you've mostly recovered then that's no problem either. Just don't think about it," he tried to sound positive. Miku just continued to stare at him.

"I wish Gumo was here," she suddenly murmured, and he understood her sentiments. The youngest Lost Boy usually overflowed with compliments and positivity. "But yeah, you're right. I'll try not to think about it…we can't just stay here all day because I'm scared of some water," she rubbed her eyes, suddenly looking as tired as he felt. "You'll catch me even if I somehow end up falling into the river, right?" she asked from behind her hands. She was still rubbing at her eyes so he couldn't see her face clearly. Her tone was even and neutral, so he had no idea if she was really terrified about the crossing or if she was just asking him this as a precaution. He knew he was too tired to catch her should she really fall into the river this time, but he couldn't possibly admit that. So he said yes.

She smiled then, a smile full of relief, and they continued on their way. He looked over his shoulder at her every once in a while and noticed how she grimaced as the roar of the river grew louder and louder. Before long, they were right in front of the raging current, fine mist spraying their faces as they approached the riverbank. Len pointed towards the five boulders that connected this side to the other, and Miku took a deep breath, clearly trying to figure out the likelihood of her crossing safely. Len would have offered to carry her over but he knew that in his current state, he wouldn't be able to support her all the way. Then they'd both fall into the river, and he wouldn't be able to save her this time. They were both far more likely to survive if they made the trip separately.

"All right, I'll go first then," she turned towards him with a determined look in her green eyes. He was quite impressed by the sudden focus in her expression, and hoped that she had managed to suppress her fears for now. Reaching up, Miku smoothed her bangs away from her eyes so that her vision would be clear when she crossed the river. She carefully walked over to the very edge of the river, where white foam threw itself with vicious abandon at the rocks and sand on the riverbank. He saw her study the full length of the river and guessed that she remembered that this river led to a steep waterfall. "I'm scared…" she murmured, looking back at him, "so catch me if I fall, all right?"

With that, she hopped from firm land onto the first boulder. His heart started to race as he watched her make the second jump to the next boulder – she was doing fine now, and he hoped that she would keep it up all the way to the other side. When she was on to the third one, right in the middle of the channel, he started his own journey across as well. He had made this trip enough times that he could probably cross the river blindfolded, so all the fear he felt wasn't for himself. He was terrified that Miku would fall and die right in front of him. But thankfully her journey was smooth save for one small stumble at the fourth boulder. She waited for him to cross as well, relief evident in her green eyes. "We both made it!" she smiled, the earlier anxiety gone from her expression.

"Yes, thankfully. I thought you were going to slip off the rock back there," he waved his hand back towards the river. It didn't seem quite so threatening now that they were on the other side. "But luckily you caught your balance. Now, since we're done with the river, we just need to cut through the Lost Valley of Souls and then the rest of the way should be pretty safe. Just watch out for the coyotes," he grinned, a sudden wave of relief flooding through him. When he said it aloud, the journey didn't seem to be that arduous. Len suddenly felt like he could accomplish anything. It was a pity Silver Winds passed away, but the information she had given him would help him save his Lost Children. He couldn't wait to get back to the den so that he could go and find the water _kararehe_.

Miku grimaced. "Tiger Lily and the king are at the valley now, right?" she asked. Len nodded, the euphoria fading a little at this reminder. They would have to find a way to avoid those two. Len didn't mind running into the king, but the king would no doubt be accompanied by his daughter and it was Tiger Lily whom Len could not stand. She would probably spit at him for daring to defile the land of her sacred ancestors. Of course, neither of them would be in the valley itself, but they would be at the very edge of it and if he wasn't careful, they would definitely see him as he made his descent. The plains were wide and open and there was nowhere to hide, after all. Tiger Lily would be able to spot someone coming from miles away. Yes, he would definitely have to watch out for them.

"How about we cut through the grove that's used for the Hunt? We need to make a detour. I don't want to run into them at all. The grove is close enough to the valley itself, and we'll be able to hide if Tiger Lily happens to pass by us. But it'll be a longer way, and the grove itself is dangerous," he cautioned Miku. Miku nodded, and he wasn't sure how much of his plan she actually understood. But then she didn't know Neverland's geography that well, so it wasn't surprising that she didn't seem to see the point. "Okay, go fill up your flask first, then follow me," he waited for her to finish her business, always watching to ensure she didn't slip off the riverbank. Once she was done and climbing back up towards him, he started walking off towards his right, Miku hurrying to keep up. It was a completely different direction from the route they took to get here.

The grove was midway between the river and the valley, so after roughly an hour or so of walking, he could see the cluster of dark trees in the distance, a single blemish on the otherwise flat land of the Indian plains. The grove – though really, it was more of a small forest – stretched some distance across the plains, ending near the boundary between the Indian land and the pirate territory, and the good thing about that was that the grove would bring them near to the Lost Valley as well. Of course, they would have to make a quick dash from the trees to the lip of the valley – the trees didn't extend _all_ the way to the edge – but if they were careful and quick enough, then they shouldn't be seen. The unsheltered part was only a small distance, so he wasn't too worried about that. "Okay, do you remember this place?" he stopped and gestured towards the dark trees, glancing at his companion. Miku nodded again, looking uncertain.

"It's where the Hunt took place," she echoed what he said. "But actually, if we're going to go through this forest, why don't we just take the same route that we did the other time? I mean, when we first left the Hunt to return to our territory we didn't have to cut through the valley," she reasoned. Len blinked. Now that was a valid point. He was surprised he didn't think of that himself.

"True. It would be safer too, to not have to go through the valley. But the problem is that the route we took the previous time will bring us through the pirate land. We can cut across their territory during the Hunt because it's a time of peace, but now…it could be taken as a declaration of war," he shifted from foot to foot, feeling a little uncomfortable about that. Of course Hook, the pirate captain, didn't seem like he was an unreasonable man – unlike his predecessor – but Len didn't want to court anymore trouble. They had enough problems with the Flame Wolves breathing down their necks. He didn't want the pirates to use this as an excuse to ransack their territory as well.

"I don't want to see the zombies again," she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Once was more than enough. I don't think I really want to go back into the valley if there's an alternative," she gazed up at him, her eyes wide. He wondered if she was trying to manipulate him into doing what she wanted, and unfortunately he had to admit that it was working. He did feel a little guilty about putting her through such an intense ordeal, and if she wanted to take the easier way out of this, he couldn't blame her.

"Fine, we'll go through the pirate territory. But we still have to be really quiet," he warned her. "The pirates don't have guards at their border every day, not like the Red Indians, but there might be a few posted today so we can't just assume we're safe. The pirates mostly spend time on their ship but that doesn't mean they're not patrolling the forested part of their area either," he said tersely. Miku beamed, clearly happy about getting her way, and nodded in response to whatever he said. He couldn't tell how much of what he was saying was actually getting through to her, but he hoped that she wouldn't blunder around in the forest and make too much noise. Unlike him, Miku sounded like an elephant or some other heavy animal when she walked through the forest. She made so much noise sometimes, it was as though she was purposely stepping on every twig she could find.

He slipped over to the grove, always being careful to stick to the long grass where possible. The long grass between here and the forest was sparse, so it was difficult to sneak through the plains and he honestly felt incredibly exposed. He couldn't shake off the paranoia that told him that Tiger Lily and the Panther were watching him from some secret spot, trying to figure out his intentions – trying to decide if he really was friend or foe. The Red Indians were suspicious people, but then again all of them were. They had to be suspicious to survive here. Neverland was not a kind place, and people who were nice didn't usually live very long. Well, Gumo clearly being the only exception to that.

Miku was trying her very best to copy what he was doing. Of course, she wasn't as good at being inconspicuous – it didn't help that her bright teal hair stood out against the dry yellow grass, while his blond hair blended in almost perfectly – but she wasn't making too much noise, for which he was grateful. She joined him, crouched within a patch of tall grass, as he peeked out from behind the stalks and tried to see if there were any people watching them in the distance. "Why are we walking around like this?" she whispered to him. "Like we're spying or something. Can't we just go straight to the grove instead of sneaking around? It'd be so much faster to just get up and walk, right?"

Len resisted the urge to glare at her. "And get caught by Tiger Lily and her father?" he said acidly. "The grove isn't really meant to be used until the Hunt because it's teeming with prey. If Tiger Lily and the Panther realise that we're there, they're bound to think that we intend to steal food. They'll make us take the three-day long trip around the edge of the Valley, probably escorting us too to ensure that we don't slip away, and I'm not going to waste three whole days trying to accommodate them. We stay low and we stay hidden so that they won't spot us, wherever they are," he scanned the plains again, relieved when he still couldn't see two other humanoid forms anywhere nearby.

Miku remained silent for a while, but she eventually muttered something about unnecessary trouble and waited with him, crouched down within the tall grass. When Len was very sure that it was safe, they continued to sneak through the plains and finally made the final dash between the grass and the tall trees. The moment the trees closed in behind them, Len let out a sigh of relief – it was nice and comforting to be back in the shelter of a forest. Granted, this grove of trees was nowhere as thick and hidden as the forest in his own territory, but he was just glad that he was no longer out in the plains, exposed to the elements and to the eyes of unwanted others. The forest was noticeably dimmer and cooler than the plains as well, which was a blessing since the midday sun was starting to become unbearable. "Now we need to cut through to the clearing we were all at during the previous Hunt. From there we can go to the pirate territory, and then we can follow the road we took back home."

It was a shorter route than cutting through the valley, actually. He and the Lost Boys could get through the pirate territory back to their own in less than a day usually, but that was because they had free access to the lands of the other ethnic groups on the night of a Hunt. If he and Miku had to sneak around, then perhaps it wouldn't be as quick, but he didn't think they would take any longer than if they stuck to their original plan and cut through the Lost Valley of Souls. "Be quiet, there are wolves in this forest and without Rei, we have no way to fend them off," he cautioned Miku. "The last thing we want to do is to attract their attention, so just try not to make too much noise here," he stared at her until she finally nodded, and then they set off through the forest, her watching her step very closely and avoiding all the dry leaves and twigs. Len tried to navigate the forest – it was odd seeing it in daylight since he was so used to being here at night, but it was familiar enough for him to remember the way. Unless any wild animals showed up, they ought to be perfectly fine.

There was another reason why he was so tensed up about being here, though. This grove was where the fire _kararehe_ had attacked Rei and started this whole mess in the first place. There might be other Flame Wolves out here in this forest, so they would really have to watch their step. He carefully stepped through a gap between two tall, barren trees and waited for Miku to follow him. He had to wait because she had a tendency to get stuck when they went through narrow spaces, as he was now realising. It was her ridiculously long hair – it always got caught on a branch or something.

Miku got through the gap with little difficulty and they proceeded on their way. Much to his surprise – some deity was clearly looking out for them today – they managed to travel to the clearing without running into any mishaps. They saw a few wild deer and rabbits, but nothing else that could spell actual trouble for them. Len felt like he could let his guard down a little, since the clearing was quite deep into the forest and he was absolutely certain that no one outside the forest would be able to see them now. They were definitely safe from Tiger Lily's prying eyes. Now they just had to go through the pirate territory, hopefully unscathed, and then they would be on their way home.

"Follow me," he took a deep breath and led the way, wondering if this was the right decision to make. Miku wordlessly followed him, and the two of them walked together in silence through the trees – he had no idea what she was thinking about, but all he wanted now was to return to the den.


	29. Chapter 29

Miku's heart was racing. She was absolutely terrified – and for once, she thought that even Nero wouldn't blame her for feeling that way. If Len was the one who told her to run…and anyway, Miku was very sure that the blonde woman with the icy blue eyes was more than she appeared to be.

Call it intuition perhaps, but she just didn't feel good about the newcomer. At least Miki, though she didn't seem too fond of her, didn't make the hairs on the back of her neck stand when she smiled. Although admittedly now, if Miku ran into the girl again, she probably would be scared out of her wits too. Her footsteps slowed and she looked around, breathing heavily. Thick forest surrounded her in every direction, which made it hard for her to decide how to proceed. How was Len supposed to find her afterwards?

Hesitantly, she stepped through the foliage, parting the leaves of ferns carefully as she wove through the greenery. She could smell salt in the air – they had to be near saltwater, maybe the ocean…she couldn't see where the water body could be, though. Nothing but trees surrounded her. The ground wasn't even sandy. She could hear the shrill calls of wildlife around her, which was quite different from what she was used to in their own territory. There were animals there too of course, and they did make sounds, but it wasn't as loud as here. The wildlife here just seemed much bolder – she had seen a couple of monkeys and such, screeching and following her, utterly unafraid of her presence.

She couldn't imagine any animals doing the same thing in the Lost Boys' territory. Over there, the Lost Boys were apex predators – when they stalked the forest, the animals quietened and hid, even the wolves sometimes. Rei was the only one whom the wolves seemed to trust at all…she shook her head, breaking free from her distracting thoughts. She was in foreign territory now, and it was every bit as dangerous as the rest of Neverland. She would have to pull herself together and think hard.

Her main objective now was to avoid the pirates and reunite with Len. She and Len had split up at the arrival of the blonde, with Len shouting hurried instructions to get to the other side of the forest as soon as she could. But the thing was, she had no idea where the 'other side' he referred to was. Her sense of direction was practically nil here. Had she even run in the right direction? But she had faith that he would find her. Maybe a while ago she would have doubted she would ever be saved, but after yesterday evening…she just trusted Len more. Maybe it was the shock of _sort of_ witnessing a death in the Red Indian camp, maybe it was the fact that he never abandoned her while in the Lost Valley of Souls, maybe it was the fact he was considerate enough to share his hammock with her…

Well, she couldn't explain her newfound belief in her leader even to herself, so for now she would just go with the flow. She heard a loud screeching sound from behind her and whipped around to look, her hand instinctively darting to her knife sheathed at her hip – suddenly, she was never more thankful for her weapon. Now that she was truly alone here, she would need it more than ever.

The bright, beady eyes of two monkeys stared back at her, and she sighed in relief, letting her hand drop back to her side. The monkeys cocked their heads at her, then scrambled up the branches of the tree they were in to higher places. She decided that she had dawdled enough here and it was time to move on. Besides getting to the place where Len told her to meet him – wherever that was – she also had to avoid the pirates as best as she could. She didn't want to imagine encountering yet another ethnic group. The Red Indians themselves had been hostile enough even when Len had brought a peace offering. She didn't want to be found by the pirates while alone and vulnerable.

The only pirate she remembered was their captain, Hook…the one with the navy hair, the calm blue eyes and the hook in place of his right hand. During the Hunt, the first time she ever laid eyes upon him, she thought that he _seemed_ like a nice enough person, but first impressions could be wrong. And she didn't want to put her life in the hands of a man she had never properly spoken to.

People couldn't be trusted. She wanted, so badly, to believe in someone, but even when she found someone she might trust, she didn't believe in them fully. No one was entirely good or pure-hearted on Earth or in Neverland, she bet – which was why for her, meeting Gumo had been such a precious thing. He was a ray of light in a world where people were ruled by greed and desire. She would do anything to see him safe, which was why she felt so awful when he got into that fight with Rei…was he doing all right now? She wondered what the Lost Boys were doing right now. Probably beefing up the defences of their den and hunting…that was really all they ever seemed to do during this period.

Len though…he had shown himself to be a capable and trustworthy person. And he was her leader, the one who had saved her before so many times. She would have to trust him if she wanted to survive, and she hoped that she would be able to find him now. Where could he have gone, and who was that woman they ran into? Judging from the way Len's blue eyes widened, she guessed that he knew who the woman was, and also figured that she was dangerous. Len wouldn't have told her to run if she wasn't dangerous. But it also made Miku curious about the woman and her relationship with their leader.

She was perspiring a little. It was more humid here than in the Red Indians' territory, or in their own. Most probably because this forest was near the ocean…she shook herself, realising that she had stayed in this one particular spot for quite a while already. ' _The only thing more dangerous than moving in a forest is staying still'_ – she couldn't remember where that piece of advice had come from, most likely from Nero or Piko during one of their more philosophical moods, but it was something which had always stuck around in her memory. She didn't want to be targeted by something in the forest which might be stronger than her, so she carefully continued on her way, always looking around and observing her surroundings.

The sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the forest ground. It was slightly wet, almost muddy but not quite, and the smell of damp leaves and slight rot lingered around her, wafting through the air and permeating her skin. The leaves on the trees seemed to glisten with water droplets. She was grateful for the sunlight, since it allowed her to see where she was going – this was definitely better than the last time she had been out in the forest alone, back in the Lost Boys' territory. The forest in their land was so dense that it was practically impossible to see anything, especially late at night.

She knew the Lost Boys could see in the dark since their nocturnal vision was just so much more developed than hers. Maybe when she returned, she would be able to see better at night as well, since she really did seem to be undergoing some kind of physical change. Her grip tight around the hilt of her knife, she stepped through a gap in the undergrowth and found herself in a small clearing in the middle of the forest, surrounded on all sides by tall, towering trees. She hesitated. This place seemed like it was…suspicious. The clearing just looked too perfectly formed for it to be natural.

However, for now it didn't seem like there was anything dangerous about the clearing, so carefully she took a step towards the centre of the space. The sounds of the forest still rang loudly here, which was a good sign – Miku realised that when the animals stopped calling, it usually meant that there was something terribly wrong. Continuing to observe the area, she was certain that the clearing was manmade rather than natural – it seemed too perfectly circular to have formed by itself… _but Neverland might not follow the same rules as on Earth_. The thought suddenly sprang to mind. Well, either way this clearing seemed to be a place of interest.

She looked at the trees around the clearing, and after squinting carefully at each one, she realised that one of them had a rope tied to the branch, which dangled down the trunk towards the ground. The brown cord blended in so well with the tree that she almost didn't notice it the first time she looked in that direction, and she had to stare really closely to be sure that it was actually there. Keeping a safe distance away from the tree, she approached the rope and observed that it was a trap of some kind, probably for capturing prey or intruders. So now she knew that she had to avoid this tree in particular, then. She was actually very pleased with herself for being able to notice something like that. In the past, she would have just blundered right into the trap, and then she would be forced to pray and hope that Len would come and save her soon.

She went on her way, deciding there was nothing else in the clearing that deserved further inspection, though some little part of her mind still wondered about the perfect symmetry of the clearing. It just didn't seem natural, but it wasn't possible to actually clear the trees in Neverland, wasn't it? Len did tell her before that the trees in Neverland were _alive_ , and for every tree that was felled two would grow to take its place. That certainly didn't seem to be happening, so really…it was quite the mystery.

Maybe the pirates' forest simply wasn't the same as the Lost Boys. Their forest was, after all, thinner and easier to navigate through. She continued walking, and after a while she was actually starting to get bored. She did run into a few wild animals, like snakes and monkeys and even once an alligator, but they all ignored her, going about with their usual business. She was beginning to let her guard down – there seemed to be little human influence in this forest, and she guessed that the pirates probably hung out more in their ship than on dry land. She still worried a little about her situation though, since she didn't know how she was supposed to find Len. She must have walked for an hour or so already, and there was still no sign of his bright blond hair anywhere. Should she just try to remember the way back to the den?

Her knife always held loosely in her hand, she ended up wandering all the way to a fork in the forest. Two dirt tracks, faint and clearly underused, stretched out ahead of her, one leading straight ahead into the greenery and the other one veering off towards the left, into the darker undergrowth. She set off straight ahead, intending to keep to the route she was already following, but just as she stepped forward some sort of _intuition_ made her stop and look down the other road. It veered all the way into thick shrubbery and the deep forest, and she was hesitant about going down this left track since it seemed likely that she would just get lost – but in a way, she was already lost, wasn't she? The urge to take the left road got stronger and stronger, and eventually Miku just caved in, changing her course and setting off deeper into the unknown forest.

* * *

It was stupid to have gotten separated. He should have grabbed Miku's hand and run off, but he knew that if he did then they would just be chased. He had to stay behind and buy her some time so that their escape wouldn't be futile. He had feared for his own life actually, but in the end he didn't even need to fret. After her shocking appearance, she just smiled at him and then she…she simply walked away, as though nothing had ever happened.

But by then Miku was already gone too, and he had no idea where she went. He tried tracking her, but the humidity of the forest was really getting to him and after a while, the trail went cold. Her route zigzagged all over the place, and he was pretty sure she would end up travelling in circles, but the forest of the pirates wasn't as dangerous as their own territory so he was certain that she would be relatively safe. All that was left to do was to find her before she got herself captured by Hook and his crew.

But the appearance of that woman…he would have to talk to Syrena about this when he returned. This was the first time he had seen anything like this taking place, and it unnerved him. He was certain that the mermaid queen would have an idea about what the hell was going on. Maybe this was all because of the _kararehe_ and their sudden awakening – before this particular Hunt, none of the elemental beasts had ever appeared before any of the Neverland natives, at least not that he could remember. Their awakening – the arrival of the Flame Wolves, the movements of the other elemental _kararehe_ – seemed to signal the start of a change. And the change coincided with Miku's arrival in Neverland as well…what was it about this one weak, human girl which catalysed all these changes?

Well, it wouldn't do to just think about it right now. Action was more important right now than considering endless possibilities and futures. He had to find Miku, get back to their territory, drop her off at the den, find the water _kararehe_ and then talk to Syrena about what he just witnessed. It was a substantial to-do list, but having goals motivated him and he felt like he would have no problem pulling it all off. Still, just how was he supposed to find Miku when he knew that she was wandering around lost, somewhere deep in the forest?

There was a loud screech, and he turned around – a flock of parrots rose from the trees, a bright colourful group of birds flying up towards the blue sky. He was mesmerised for a while, just watching the avian group – the colours and vividness were everything his own territory was not, and it just made him think of his own past. Not that he could really remember much about his past. His twin sister, his mother…drowning, and being lost at sea. In this forest, he was so close to the ocean, and it was on the beach that lay beyond that he first woke up and saw that he was now in another world.

 _Don't think about that, think about more important things. You're too old to think about the past_. He shook himself and dove back into the undergrowth, trying to find some kind of trail to follow. Miku was clumsy and she still wasn't the quietest of people – she was bound to make some kind of mark upon the forest from stumbling around with no direction. The forest ground, which was mushy, did not provide many clues – it wasn't wet enough to create footprints, but it was liquid enough to make travelling somewhat annoying…plus the dead leaves and twigs all sank a little into the ground, trodden in by other animals or people, so it muffled the forest ground and took away any chance of him hearing her if she was nearby. Unless she stupidly happened to be making a whole lot of noise, of course.

Another loud screech rang out through the vicinity – he glanced around again and saw another parrot, this time separated from the flock, staring right back at him. It screamed, extending its colourful wings, then took flight and, instead of flying up into the air like the previous group of parrots, this one flew past him into the forest. When Len did not follow immediately, the bird landed on a nearby branch and screamed again, once more staring very intently at him. Len was sure that the bird wanted him to _follow_ it.

But that was so strange. Animals didn't usually behave this way. He would have suspected that it was a _kararehe_ , one of those elemental beasts with intellect on par with, or even surpassing, a human's – but the bird's plumage didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, and he was sure that if the bird really was a _kararehe_ there would be something obviously different about it. This looked, for all intents and purposes, just like any ordinary parrot. It just happened to want him to follow it.

Now, Len was a very careful person. He always thought about every possible option he had available and he always weighed the pros and cons of any choices before finally deciding upon what to do. So because of that, he certainly had doubts about following a bird. It just seemed too suspicious – like he would be walking right into a trap of some kind – but at the same time, it wasn't as though there was anything better he could do at the moment. He wouldn't be able to find Miku by himself, at least not for now, and for all he knew maybe the parrot was trying to lead him to Miku. Maybe birds were smarter than he assumed them to be and the parrot knew that he was looking for her…no, he was just clutching at straws now.

The bird screeched again, and if he didn't know better he would have thought that the parrot was getting impatient. There was no emotion in those beady eyes, at least none he could recognise, but the distinct screech of the parrot was a lot more abrupt and it was getting louder and louder too. He didn't want the stupid bird to attract any attention – there may be pirates nearby, he couldn't be sure – so he finally decided to just follow it, walking towards where it was perched. Satisfied, the parrot took off, always ensuring that Len didn't lag too far behind. He felt a little uneasy about just following a strange bird into the unknown, but…for now he tried to set aside his misgivings.

He followed the bird all the way to a clearing, surrounded by extremely tall trees. This clearing in the middle of the forest looked too perfect to be natural, but it didn't make sense for it to be manmade either. There were no manmade clearings in Neverland – space was controlled by the trees, and they grew wherever they willed. He hesitated at the edge of the clearing, uncertain about stepping into the place – he was very sure that it was a trap of some kind, or at the very least it would result in a nasty experience. But the bird alighted on a branch beside him and started to scream again, and the harsh sound really got on his nerves. Crouching down, he picked up a pebble and threw it at the bird, trying to get it to fly off and leave him alone, but the parrot expertly dodged the pebble and flew towards him, claws aimed at his eyes. He ducked just in time, but instead of just flying off the bird spun around and remained in place, flapping its wings to stay airborne. It screeched again, a warning this time, and darted into the clearing.

Why was it so determined to make him follow it? He should have just caught and killed the parrot earlier instead of being so stupidly curious and following it all over the place. He still had no idea where Miku was, and the sky was starting to become a rosy pink. It would not be much longer until the sun set, and when darkness fell, Miku's chances of survival alone would plummet. It was true that this forest was not as dangerous as their own, but nevertheless there were wild animals here and it was always possible that the dangerous predators here only came out at night, just like how the Lost Boys always waited for darkness to fall before leaving the den to hunt. Either way, he had to find her as soon as he possibly could.

But he could probably spare five minutes to enter the clearing and see what the dumb bird wanted from him. He had already followed it all the way here after all – he might as well see the whole thing to its conclusion. He entered the clearing and waited for further instruction, but the bird simply continued to perch on one of the surrounding trees and stare at him with its silent, beady gaze. He glared back at the bird and eventually decided that this was getting him nowhere – he might as well try to see if there was anything of interest in the clearing. It was pretty empty, just a large circular patch of forest ground encircled by tall trees. There was nothing noteworthy here besides the very obvious rope trap that was attached to one of the trees – it was probably used to catch intruders rather than prey, since the pirates preferred to fish rather than hunt forest prey. There was nothing else for him to do here.

"Kagamine Len," a voice called out from behind him, the person having managed to sneak up on him while he was looking around the clearing. Len stiffened – he recognised that voice. Slowly, he turned around and saw the owner of the voice. The pirate captain, Hook, was standing there, the parrot Len had been following earlier now looking very comfortable on his shoulder. Hook was wearing a white ruffled shirt, black pants and boots, with a cutlass strapped to his hips. His hook caught the faint light of the sun and glinted weakly in the dim forest. "I never knew you were one to trespass. It always seemed more likely that Tiger Lily would charge in, demanding something from us. But I never thought that you would do the same."

"I'm not here to start a fight with you or your pirates. I have enough problems on my plate," Len answered tersely. The pirate captain appeared to be alone, which was strange. He was sure this was the first time he ever saw Hook without Gakupo, his First Mate. The two of them were generally inseparable, at least whenever he saw them at the Hunt. Maybe things were different when they were in their own territory and no longer had to put on a show of solidarity for all the other Neverland natives. "I'm just passing through here to get back to my own territory. I just visited the Red Indians plains, and as you know your territory is a shortcut back to mine. Tiger Lily was tiresome enough to deal with, so I'd like to avoid trouble if possible."

"We all want to avoid trouble, don't we? But trouble has a nasty way of finding us no matter how well we hide," Hook's words were placid. Len didn't like the captain's serenity, especially in the face of his own rising sense of urgency. He had to get out of here quickly and find Miku before it got dark, and she was stranded alone in the forest at night. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to come with me. Of course, I don't take your intrusion to be a declaration of war, but…well, we have to follow procedure. If my pirates find out that I just let an intruder go, then I would probably face a mutiny," he shrugged.

Len paused. "Can't we work around that?" he forced a smile upon his face, folding his arms across his chest. "You're a reasonable man. And like I've already mentioned, I have plenty of other problems to settle back in my territory. Every minute, every second which ticks past, is precious for me. Though I'd love to make your life easier, I really have other things I ought to be doing right now. So I hope you can let this incident slide," he concluded.

"I know what are the other things you have to settle. I was there at the Hunt, and I saw the wolf your Lost Boys killed. But you have more urgent things to think about right now besides that, don't you?" Hook gave him a small smile, one that looked almost sad. "Miku is a very pretty girl, and she's…well, unlike any of the other women on my ship. The men are rather interested in her, to put it lightly."

He froze. Miku was on board Hook's ship? "What have you done with her!" Len snapped, instantly pouncing on the pirate captain. Hook's eyes widened as Len gripped his shirt, his teeth bared at the taller man. "She's one of my Lost Children and if you harmed even a _single_ hair on her head, I will take that as a declaration of war, do you understand me?" he hissed. Part of him was frightened by the possibilities Miku's capture raised, while the other half of him was just furious. He had no idea whether the other pirates had already done anything to Miku, but if they treasured their lives…

"Relax," Hook stepped back, breaking free from his grip. His blue eyes were fixed inquisitively upon him, clearing wondering about his reaction towards this bit of information. "Miku is safe in my cabin, and she's with my First Mate now, who wouldn't allow any of our pirates to get near her. We had a pleasant conversation, actually. She told me her name, and that you were just using our territory to get back to your own…I already knew that even before I found you," he admitted, brushing down his top. Len still didn't trust him though, and he remained tense, carefully watching the captain's every movement. "Miku is safe," Hook repeated slowly, clearly enunciating every single word. "And if you want to see her and bring her back with you, then you need to follow me. You know that. I'm not going to try and kill you or anything – you said so yourself, I'm a reasonable man. It's all up to you, really."

"I don't think I have a choice if one of my Lost Children is with you at the moment. I need to get her – I can't just leave without her, can I?" he gritted his teeth. "I don't know how you ended up taking her back to your ship…we shouldn't even have split up. Just get this over and done with so that we can continue on our way, I don't want to waste any time travelling or making small talk," he said flatly, narrowing his eyes at Hook. Hook nodded and turned away from Len, walking into the forest – presumably to lead him back to his pirate ship. Len followed the captain, letting out a quiet sigh.

And just a while ago, he had been thinking about how he would be able to finish his to-do list fairly easily. This was a complication he had not foreseen, and it was going to eat into his precious time. "I was rather surprised to see a lone girl wandering around in our forest, actually," Hook suddenly said while they were travelling through the undergrowth, him using his cutlass to clear the plants out of the way, creating a clear path through the trees. "She was just walking down our shortcut from the forest to the ship as though she knew where it was leading…and when my crew accosted her, she admitted that she was one of the Lost Children and that she was, well, lost. And then I recognised her to be your new Lost Child," Hook paused for a moment. "Why a girl this time? We found that…strange."

"It's not really any of your business now, is it?" Len muttered, still feeling rather antagonistic towards the pirate captain at the moment. Hook didn't try to push for an answer, thankfully leaving him alone for the rest of the trip. Len was left to stew in his own thoughts, and the frustration he suddenly felt was unbearable. Why did they keep being diverted away from their original course? He had not wanted to run into the pirates at all, much less talk to their captain. If he had gone on this journey alone, he bet he would already be back home by now. Maybe he really should have just gone alone, or at least chosen one of the more experienced Lost Boys to accompany him. It would have been so much easier since he wouldn't have to look out as much for his Lost Boys, even for Gumo, the youngest. Miku was the only one who required so much of his attention, simply because she was so new to this hostile land.

The journey to the pirate ship didn't take too long, and soon enough the beach and the ocean came into view, the vessel floating near the sandy shore. The forest was thinning out into the beach, and he could smell the sea salt and hear the crash of waves as they broke against the beach. Instantly, his spirits lifted. Despite being lost at sea when he was little, the sea was still one of his favourite places, and just seeing it and smelling it instantly made him feel a little better. The captain glanced out at the ship and looked back at Len, tilting his head towards the prow. "We might have to swim to get there since the vessel drifted a little further into the open sea than usual. But I'm sure that you wouldn't mind getting a little wet, would you? We do have spare clothes if you require them."

"I don't need spare clothes," he answered shortly, his slightly better mood souring again at the sound of the captain's voice. "A little bit of saltwater never hurt anyone. But I hope Miku isn't wet?" he added, suddenly concerned about that. Her health would suffer, and she might even fall sick if she was drenched again so soon after her swim in the river. And obviously, now wasn't the best time for Miku, or any one of the Lost Children, to be falling sick. Of course, he and the Lost Boys had not gotten ill in a long, long time, but Miku was new here and it was unlikely that her resistance towards cold and disease had increased too much yet. He noticed that her rate of recovery had sped up though, which pleased him. It showed that she was acclimating well to her new surroundings.

"No, we didn't let her get wet. When she came to us, the ship wasn't quite as far out so we lowered a lifeboat and let her cross over through that. But obviously the crew wouldn't bother for two men," Hook glanced at Len, a wry smile on his face. Len didn't particularly care about staying dry – being wet would be uncomfortable, but once he dried off everything would be back to normal. "I'm glad that you aren't fussy then, Peter Pan. Follow me, and we'll help you get your Lost Child back."

Without further ado, Hook stepped out into the open sea, wading into the deeper water. When the water level reached up to his waist, he began to swim instead of walk, and Len sighed to himself before he followed suit. The cold saltwater was shocking at first, but he slowly got used to it, the small child from his memories relishing the icy sea in fact. Eventually he reached the point where he began to swim as well. The ship loomed in the distance – it had been a while since he last boarded the pirate ship, actually – and suddenly, he thought of his dead twin sister. Swimming made him feel closer to her, although he knew that she was already long gone. It made him think about how she might have died. By old age, he hoped. Because for him, this swim made him recall what it was like to flounder in the ocean and be swept away by forces greater than himself. His sister must have felt guilty about his disappearance for the rest of her life.

In a way he was dead too, just like her. Though his physical body remained intact and his thoughts were still clear and sharp, he had departed from the real world and gone to live in Neverland. Maybe he was actually dead, Neverland was Hell, and he had drowned in that ocean when he was a child instead of being swept out onto the shores of an island fantasy. Who knew? Maybe everyone else here was dead too, and none of them were aware of that fact or simply chose not to acknowledge it.

But no, that was a stupid thought. He pushed the idea aside and looked up at the ship, treading water now that he wasn't too far away. The massive wooden construct towered over him, casting a long shadow over the ocean. Miku was up there. He had to save her, then they could finally continue on their way.


	30. Chapter 30

Len folded his arms across his chest, tapping his foot impatiently. He was completely soaked through with seawater and salt crystals were beginning to form on his clothes. The cold sea breeze wasn't making things any more comfortable for him, either. Miku screamed fervently as she revealed her dice, showing that she was the winner _yet_ again – the pirates on her side whooped along with her.

He wanted to go back home but Gakupo, the ship's imposing First Mate, declared that since Miku was now gambling with one of the other pirates – who Len recognised to be Oliver, one of the best gamblers on the ship – she couldn't leave until the round was over. Len stared sulkily at the table, wondering about how much time had been lost just by playing this stupid game. Liar's Dice was played in rounds of three, with the overall winner being the one to win all three rounds. Miku and Oliver were apparently on their last round, but they still had five dice each…no, Oliver had four now, and it would be a while more before they would be able to determine the winner of the current round.

He was tempted to just yank Miku away from the gambling table but he knew that the pirates took their games very seriously and it would cause a riot if he butted in halfway. He wasn't willing to risk a fight on this ship, not while he was alone – Miku was pretty much next to useless in close combat – so he would have to wait. He sighed irritably once more, looking around the ship to distract himself, and his gaze met the ship captain's. Hook gave him an amused smile and it took everything Len had not to spit in his face. Hook had changed out of his wet clothes upon boarding the ship while Len, who absolutely refused to borrow anything from the pirates because that would leave him in their debt, stood here shivering in the cold. Miku should just hurry up and finish the damn game already.

Hook apparently had not expected Miku to be gambling on the deck either. According to him, when Miku ran into them he took her back to the ship and locked her in the captain's quarters with his First Mate to keep her company. But Gakupo, who was easily swayed by young girls and who also had a bit too much to drink while Hook was away, decided to let her out onto the deck and get a taste of pirate life. The other pirates, understandably curious about the new girl, all crowded around her and before she knew it Oliver had challenged her to a round of gambling. So here they were.

Len didn't know if Miku was actually good at this or if it was sheer beginner's luck because so far, she had won both rounds before this and was on to her third. Maybe it was her face, because she always looked so stupidly naïve that no one would ever think she was lying. Oliver looked frustrated, which he would sympathise with if it wasn't for the fact that the damn pirate was the cause of his delay in the first place. "Four threes," Miku sang, lifting the edge of her cup and peeking at her dice. Oliver did the same, his brow furrowed in consternation as he stared at the girl sitting opposite him. Miku smiled.

"Liar!" he called. Her smile widened and she raised the cup, showing four threes and a one. Oliver cursed and lifted his cup too, showing three twos and a four. Sulkily, he set aside one die, leaving him with three more. Len just hoped he would lose quickly and graciously without demanding a rematch – or, even worse, letting his loss devolve into an all-out brawl. The other pirates were clearly betting on who would win, and the side supporting Oliver seemed to be discontent. Well, if it all broke out into a fight, Len would grab Miku and get the hell out of there. He had nothing to do with all this. He tapped his foot again, his wet boots making a squishing sound against the deck.

The pirate ship was as big as he remembered. It had been a while since he last came on board since there was never a need for him to do that, but he remembered his previous time well. Hook's father, the previous captain, led with an iron first. Under his control, the pirates had been less rowdy and more militaristic, and back then they truly were a force to be reckoned with. It wasn't to say that Hook wasn't intimidating at all, but he was obviously more soft-hearted than his father and from what he heard, his pirates adored him. Len assumed that it was his mother's influence which led to Hook's softer personality. The pirates now lived in peace, rarely interfering with the affairs of the other ethnic groups – though of course, they could still put up a good fight if they absolutely had to.

Miku groaned as Oliver called her out again, this time exposing her lie. She tossed aside one die, so that right now it was three-four. Len rolled his eyes and stared hard at the table, hoping that they would finish the game soon. The sun was setting and it would be better to reach the den before it turned dark. He wasn't worried about navigating through the darkness since his nocturnal vision was good, but he couldn't exactly say the same for Miku. The less time she spent outside in absolute darkness, the better it would be for him. Then he could stop looking out for her and worrying about her safety all the time too, since Gumo would no doubt gladly take over his role as her guardian.

"Miku, you'd better finish this up within ten minutes or I'm leaving without you!" he threatened. It was an empty threat, and she probably knew it – if he intended to ditch her he would have done so ages ago – but he hoped that it would hurry her a little. Miku glanced up at him, beamed excitedly then went back to her game. She was having way too much fun with the pirates…Len shook his head and pressed his palm against his forehead. Bringing her with him on this trip was definitely a bad idea. Why had he decided to go along with this plan even when Nero and Gumo disapproved? Rei and Piko had ulterior motives for getting her out of the den. He shouldn't have listened to them.

"Liar!" Miku accused. Oliver smirked and lifted his cup, revealing that he did, indeed, have three fives. Everyone on Miku's side of the table gasped and Miku sulkily discarded another die, making the two of them even. Despite himself, Len was drawn into the game. Oliver was certainly a good gambler, relying more on strategy than luck, whereas Miku seemed to just yell whatever came to mind. It was shocking that he even lost two rounds at all. Len had played poker against Oliver once and he almost lost – he really would have ended up losing if it wasn't for the giant squid which suddenly attacked the ship, causing them to abandon the game. He didn't know if Miku would end up winning though, since…well, she might be unfortunate in other things, but in terms of gambling luck certainly seemed to be on her side. Maybe he should use Miku as a way to earn favours…

He ended up deciding against it. Only the pirates really gambled a lot anyway, and he wasn't about to let Miku continuously travel between their territory and the pirates' land. Though it would be nice to see Oliver's face when he kept losing to a newcomer. Oliver looked like he was younger than Len and Miku, maybe around sixteen. He wore a white cap with a ragged blue coat and an eyepatch. Dirty white bandages were wrapped around his calves and the upper half of his arms, and there were bandages around his neck too. His visible eye was molten gold, which reminded him of Rei's eyes.

Len didn't like that he could lose in a game against this baby-faced pirate, so he was somewhat glad that Miku was winning now – though of course, he would have preferred it if she played when they had spare time, not while they were hurrying home from the Indian territory. "Liar," Miku sang again, and this time she was right – Oliver tossed aside one die, leaving him with two. It was a very close round, and Len wondered if Miku might win. If she won, it meant Oliver would owe her something. That was how gambling worked with the pirates – the loser owed the winner a favour. Which was one reason why he was glad that the giant squid interrupted his game with Oliver in the past, since it would have been really embarrassing if the leader of the Lost Boys ended up owing a pirate a favour.

Oliver was much older than Miku, that was a given. All Neverland denizens aged at a particularly slow rate, though it was the slowest for the Lost Boys because of Len. _Len_ was the original child of Neverland – he was Peter Pan, and he was the cause of the distortion of time here. Whoever spent the most time with him had their ageing dramatically slowed as well. Over time, the distortion of time around him spread out over the entire island, causing the other natives to age slower too, but it wasn't to the same extent as Peter Pan and his Lost Children. That was why most of his Lost Boys were in their hundreds already, yet still looked no older than twenty. The dramatic slowing usually kicked in when they were around eighteen years old, the year they stopped identifying as 'children' – up till that point they usually aged normally. Len didn't know why the slowdown only occurred after that shift in mentality, but they had all established that one had to see themselves as an 'adult' before Neverland would slow down its time for them. So it made him wonder – would Miku stop ageing straightaway? Did she actually classify herself as an adult, or did she still see herself as a child?

Piko hypothesised that it was something to do with the illusion of childhood, which could pierce through the veil of lies that draped itself over Neverland. Len thought there might be something to that theory, but it still didn't make complete sense – he was the eternal child, so why was it that when he gave up his dream of being a child forever, he stopped ageing? It ought to be the opposite, right? It was something he would probably never understand, and he didn't think that it was important enough to warrant deep consideration. He just knew that was how this place worked, so that was it.

All this thinking made him remember what it was like when he first arrived, when Neverland had been a genuine paradise for him. For ten years he lived here…the memories were fuzzy, but he knew he was happy back then. And yes, he knew he aged. After the dark masters arrived, his physical ageing ceased while his mind continued to grow and mature. After a while he was an old man stuck in the body of a young one, and he couldn't kill himself even if he tried. Maybe it was something to do with the dark masters – maybe they were the ones who had caused time to distort around him. Or maybe he wasn't even the one distorting time. It could just as easily be the masters themselves who affected the passage of time.

"I win!" Miku cried out, her high-pitched voice cutting through his thoughts. He glanced at the pair and saw her jumping up and down in excitement, while Oliver stared blankly at the dice she had revealed. Miku's side was clearly gloating about their chosen contestant's victory, while Oliver's supporters were muttering darkly among themselves. Then suddenly, Oliver rose from his stool and drew out a cutlass, his teeth bared into a snarl. Miku instantly backed away, looking frightened.

"You must have cheated. No one wins against Oliver!" the one-eyed pirate declared. Though he looked younger than Miku, he was taller than her and he now shoved the table aside, prowling dangerously towards Miku with his sharp cutlass gleaming. His half of the pirates advanced behind him, looking like they were thirsting for a fight as well. The previously festive atmosphere on the ship suddenly took a dark turn, and Len could sense the restlessness that lay within the crowd.

The pirates with Miku brandished their weapons too, and Len saw the gleam of polished swords and pistols. There was dead silence on the deck for a moment, the orange light of the setting sun giving everyone a long shadow that extended across the deck, culminating in a single black mass on the other end of the ship. Len worried for Miku since she was stuck in the middle of the hostile crowd, but if he rushed out to grab her now he was absolutely certain it would provoke them into fighting. He looked around for Hook and his First Mate, wondering if they would do something to defuse the situation, but to his annoyance the two leaders of the pirate ship had disappeared. Hook, probably seeing nothing wrong with the situation earlier, must have gone back into his cabin along with Gakupo.

Well, it looked like it was up to him to get Miku out of this mess then. He should have seen this coming from the very moment he noticed them gambling. The pirates were a trigger-happy lot among themselves – though they didn't search for trouble or violence with the other ethnic groups in Neverland, they frequently got into fights with each other and that led to plenty of injuries among the crew. He had heard Gakupo grousing about it during one of the previous Hunts, and he thought that Hook really ought to do something about his reckless bunch. Of course, the soft-hearted fool clearly didn't have the nerve to correct their antagonistic behaviour, and now they were all spoiling for a fight _again_.

Len wasn't having any of that. "Look, a giant squid!" he yelled, pointing into the distance before slipping into the crowd, weaving his way expertly towards his Lost Child. The other pirates, having bad memories of the last giant squid attack, instantly forgot about the imminent fight and dashed to the side of the ship, looking out for the ocean beast. While they were all distracted, he managed to find Miku, who was pressed against one of the masts with Oliver leaning over her. The blond pirate had his cutlass up against Miku's chin, and even from this distance she was clearly trembling.

He didn't want to just throw himself into a confrontation so he snuck around behind Oliver, taking care not to draw attention to himself. The other pirates were still yelling at each other about the giant squid, and someone was now shouting about spotting a kraken in the distance. Content to let them fuss among themselves, Len focused on Oliver and Miku, and he couldn't help overhearing some of what the pirate was saying to her. "Don't look at me like that, you little brat," Oliver was seething, "I _know_ you cheated. You swapped out one of your dice while you were checking the cup!"

"How could I have done that?" Miku protested, raising her hands with her palms facing outwards. "I'm a complete beginner, I swear!" she looked down at the cutlass. The gleaming tip was still pointed directly at her neck, and Oliver was getting too close to Miku for Len's liking. But Len was pretty curious. Oliver seemed to be entirely convinced that Miku was cheating. Did he actually see her doing what he was accusing her of doing? If that was the case, then there was a lot more to Hatsune Miku than he originally thought. Maybe that gambling luck of hers wasn't really just beginner's luck…

"A beginner who didn't even need to hear the rules before she played, right," Oliver sneered. "I thought there was something up with you, but when I saw your last round I knew…I saw the way you shook the cup and took your first glance, you covered it right next to your discarded dice. You know the one thing I abhor the most?" Oliver's face twisted into a grimace, his golden eye narrowing. " _Cheaters_. And on this ship, people who cheat get chopped up and thrown to the alligators," he smiled sweetly. Len didn't like the sound of that, and he decided he absolutely had to intervene.

"Now Oliver, you know that's one of my Lost Children. Why don't you let her go and we can go on our way and forget about all this?" Len interjected smoothly, causing the blond pirate to turn around, lowering his cutlass slightly. Miku tried to edge away from the blade but Oliver was still too close for her to slip away. Oliver, having recognised the person who addressed him, bared his teeth in annoyance. Despite his diverted attention he continued to hold up his cutlass, preventing his victim from running away.

"Peter Pan, I'd normally respect you but this is an insult to my pride. I shouldn't have lost to her," Oliver looked back at Miku with murder in his good eye. "So for that, I think I need to punish her. I won't kill her since she's not a pirate, but maybe I'll take away some parts of her she might not need…like a finger maybe," his sickly sweet smile returned as Miku's eyes widened in terror, "or maybe an ear? She doesn't need two ears to listen. Or maybe an eye, to match me!" he laughed.

Oliver was quite obviously deranged. He was normally calm and cunning, but the shock of losing to Miku must have unhinged him somewhat. "Well, you can't do that because she's not a pirate and I won't allow you to touch her. You know you'd have to go through me if you want to mess around with my Lost Children, and I'm not a good enemy to make," Len explained placidly, looking up quickly at the sky to see how much time he had left before nightfall. He could make out the moon, though it was weak in the orange-blue sky. "Why don't you just let her go? We're in a hurry, so you can have your revenge against her next time. Maybe another round, a different game where there's no way to cheat?"

Oliver's reply was acidic. "What, let her go so that you lot can trample on our pride? You might be Peter Pan, but that doesn't give you _or_ your Lost Children the right to walk all over the other tribes," he retorted, though he did lower his cutlass and sheathe it. Miku let out a quiet sigh of relief and shot Len a grateful look, which he ignored for the time being – he would get even with her for all this trouble later, but for now he was more concerned about getting the both of them out of here unharmed. "I'll make an exception just for you, Peter Pan. But next time, _you_ play against me, and I know you'll lose so you'll owe me a favour. For now, I'll just take something else to tide me over till then," Oliver's smile turned into something more like a smirk, and Len suddenly got a bad feeling.

Before he could take a single step towards Oliver and Miku, the blond pirate turned towards her and leant forward, kissing her full on the lips. Len stopped and stared at them – Miku's eyes were wide as Oliver kissed her, his arms boxing her in so that she couldn't move. Suddenly, the girl winced and tried to push Oliver away from her, but the pirate gripped her shoulders tightly so that he wouldn't budge. Seeing this snapped Len out of his trance and he rushed forward, yanking the boy away from her. Miku whimpered, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes stared blankly into nothing. He was a little concerned about that, but he decided to deal with the more urgent matter now, standing in front of Miku so that Oliver wouldn't be able to get to her again. Oliver swayed slightly, his hand covering his mouth as well. His golden eye was narrowed, looking past Len to where Miku trembled.

"Remember me, Miku," Oliver lowered his hand, and Len saw that there was a bit of blood on his lips. He inhaled in shock, twisting quickly to glance at Miku, but her hand was still covering her mouth so he couldn't see anything. "Until we meet again," his last words were a whisper but Len heard him perfectly well. Before he could yell at the pirate, Oliver turned and dove into the hubbub on the ship, disappearing among his fellow pirates. Len was left alone with his Lost Child.

"Are you all right?" he shook Miku, trying to get her to respond. Her expression was still dazed, but there was something almost like terror in her eyes. When she failed to respond, Len yanked on her hand, forcing her to expose her mouth, and he saw that her bottom lip was bleeding slightly. "That little bastard…he bit you," he muttered, touching her chin lightly so that he could tilt her head and see her wound better. At his touch though, Miku jumped, retreating from him a little. There was still shock and panic in her eyes, and Len let his hand fall to his side, wondering what was wrong.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Miku seemed to be saying those words to reassure herself rather than Len. "I'm perfectly fine…let's get out of here," she whispered, glancing around the deck. The pirates were scattered everywhere, some of them pointing into the distance and the others running around, firing their pistols all over the place. Some of them, itching for a fight because of the earlier confrontation, had gotten into brawls with each other, while some others were clearly drinking rum. Hook would not be happy about dealing with all this, but as the captain it was his job to maintain order on the ship. Len figured that Hook would come out and settle the commotion eventually, and it would be better if he and Miku just got off the ship themselves first. He looked out towards the shore and saw that thankfully, the currents had brought the ship to land, meaning he wouldn't have to swim again.

"All right, let's go. The sooner we get out of here the better," he extended a hand towards Miku. She took hold of it, her fingers trembling like the rest of her, and he pulled her across the crowded, noisy deck. Still holding her hand, the two of them jumped together into the shallow waters below.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Gumo sounded concerned, rubbing slow circles over Miku's back. The girl was huddled up against Gumo, who was obviously the Lost Boy she trusted the most. It wasn't surprising that Gumo was the one comforting the traumatised girl, but even the other Lost Boys seemed to be concerned about Miku's condition. Nero gave Len a look that was half-curiosity, half-annoyance.

"What's her problem?" he asked, voice quiet so that Miku wouldn't hear him. Len stopped pacing and looked at him – Nero, the blond haired boy with the sharp tongue and unforgiving violet eyes, who treated everyone with equal bitterness yet didn't want to hurt the girl he was told to train. He could be a lot more patient than he let on. "She's been acting up ever since she came back with you. Did a zombie bite her or something?" Nero squinted at Miku, still trying to figure out the issue.

Rei, who normally took every measure he could to stay away from Miku, was staring at her as well. For once, there was no struggle in his golden eyes – he simply looked curious, though there was a hint of worry in his gaze as well. All of them were worried, Len the most of them all. After Oliver kissed Miku, the whole trip back to the den she had been quiet and scared, staying close to him like a shadow even after they got back to their territory and Len said she could make her own way back if she wanted. She insisted on staying by his side and only left him when she saw Gumo, throwing her arms around the startled boy as though she thought she would never see him again. Gumo had been by her side ever since, though the looks of confusion he kept shooting Len clearly indicated that he had no idea why Miku was behaving so strangely. Len would really like to understand her problem too.

"What, did someone assault her or something?" Piko slunk out from the shadows, joining him, Nero and Rei. Gumo and Miku were sitting in front of the campfire, her head leaning against his shoulder and her arms wrapped around herself. She was rocking back and forth a little as Gumo continued to rub circles across her back. Len winced at Piko's guess – it was rather close to the truth. The other boys noticed Len's reaction and instantly, all of them responded – Piko with surprise, Rei with more curiosity and Nero with outright anger. They all started talking at once, but Len raised his hands and got them to settle down. He wouldn't be able to explain anything if they continued chattering away.

"We made a detour to the pirate territory because we wanted to take the route we normally use for the Hunt," he explained. The other Lost Boys clung on to his every word, Gumo looking back from the campfire to listen to Len as well. "We got separated and Miku came across Hook, who took her back to the pirate ship. Miku ended up gambling with Oliver and won – shocking, I know – and Oliver accused her of cheating…whether or not she really did, I don't know. You'll have to ask her yourself if you want to know," he glanced at Miku. She made no indication that she could hear him talking. "After that, the pirates started fighting among themselves as usual, and Oliver…bit her," he ended his explanation, deciding not to talk about how the pirate had kissed her before that. He got the feeling that this particular part of the story would not be very well received by the Lost Boys.

Piko frowned. "He bit her?" the silver haired boy looked towards the campfire, where Miku was still curled up beside Gumo. Len was suddenly very glad for Gumo's presence. He was probably the only one in the den who was capable of actually comforting another person. Len was too awkward with emotional situations, Piko was more likely to hit on her than to do any actual comforting, Rei would never go near Miku unless he was forced to, and Nero was more likely to dish out tough love than actual comfort. Gumo was the most loving and the friendliest Lost Boy they had, so Len was never more thankful to have him around. He hoped that Miku would cheer up soon since she was worrying them all.

"That sounds fucked up," came Rei's input. "You don't go around biting people. Oliver is human through and through – he has no excuse for his behaviour," his tone was flat. Len remembered that Rei still hadn't gotten over his desire to eat Miku and thought that he ought to change the topic to something less sensitive before Rei went berserk or something. But before he said anything, he realised that Nero was being strangely quiet – which was odd because he thought that the blunt, aggressive strategist would have the most to say about this situation. He turned towards Nero and saw that the boy was gone. Looking around, he realised that Nero was walking towards Miku.

The three of them stared at Nero as he sat on the log beside Miku, his gaze fixed on the campfire. Gumo turned to look curiously at Nero, but the older boy didn't say anything for a while, just staring into the dancing flames. Len, Piko and Rei continued to watch, wondering what Nero was planning. When Miku left the den, Nero had been in a foul mood and Len didn't think that the boy had calmed down since. He wasn't about to start yelling at Miku about how she was being weak now, was he? Surely even Nero knew better than that.

To his surprise however, Nero reached out and awkwardly started to stroke Miku's long hair. Piko let out an exaggerated gasp at the sight, but Rei and Len continued to stare wordlessly as Nero – Nero, who hated to be close to anyone besides Gumo, who complained about Miku every chance he got, who would never do anything to show that he cared for another person – touched someone else of his own accord. Gumo's hand had stopped rubbing circles, the younger boy gaping at Nero in shock, but Nero ignored all of them and continued to pat Miku like she was a pet dog. Miku got up from where she lay beside Gumo, her face turned towards Nero. Len couldn't see the expression on her face because the light of the campfire turned her into little more than a silhouette, but he guessed that Nero's actions were outlandish enough to snap her out of her weird mood. If he was in her place, he would be plenty shocked too. This was the last thing he had ever expected Nero to do.

Piko clicked his tongue. "Well, well, well. It seems like our Nero has gotten over his aversion to women and Miku," he sighed, sounding like a proud parent. Len rolled his eyes and ignored the Lost Boy, who was now nudging Rei and waiting for the other boy to react. Rei ignored Piko, and Piko eventually gave up on trying to get Rei to respond, instead quietening and watching the scene with them. Maybe something about Miku was causing Nero to soften. This was really very strange, and Len didn't know whether he was happy about it or not. On one hand, it was good to see that Nero was finally warming up to Miku, but…Len didn't feel too good about watching this. He turned away from the sight, walking back towards his own room, and the two other Lost Boys followed him.

"Let's leave them to it," he overheard Rei murmuring to Piko as the latter complained about 'missing out on all the fun'. Len didn't think too much about the situation though, parting the vines that covered the entrance to his room and falling flat on his mattress. Piko and Rei filed into his room too, clearly waiting for him to say something to them. They must have thought he would have some comment on Nero's behaviour, given that he _was_ the leader, but Len actually had nothing to say about Nero's abrupt change. What _could_ he say?

After some silence and awkward fidgeting while Len continued to lie on his mattress, enjoying the feeling of dry clothes and a comfortable bed, Rei finally spoke up. "So what did you find out after your trip to the Red Indian plains?" he asked. Of course Rei would ask about such things. He was the oldest Lost Boy, essentially Len's second-in-command, and sometimes he seemed to care about their den affairs more than Len himself did. It was good to have someone like Rei looking out for them, since Len could leave the den on journeys knowing that Rei would keep the Lost Children safe.

"I found out the location of the water _kararehe_ , so I'm going to pay them a visit later after I rest," Len turned over in bed so that he was looking up at Piko and Rei instead of talking into his mattress. "But after that, I think I'll have to pay Syrena a visit – not to make a wish," he clarified at the look of panic on Piko's face, "but to ask her about something. I ran into…well, there was something I saw in the pirates' territory which I think is a personal cause for concern. It's nothing much and it probably won't affect us as a whole," he promised, "I just want to look into it since I think it might be important. You don't have to worry yourselves over it," he repeated. Piko and Rei exchanged a look, clearly wondering about what issue would require a visit to the lagoon, but they knew better than to press for information when Len had explicitly told them not to probe. So in the end they just nodded.

"When are you leaving? Would you like us to accompany you?" Rei asked. Piko remained silent, twiddling his thumbs. Len knew that Piko would never leave the den, so Rei was probably asking about himself or one of the other Lost Boys. Len just shook his head – this was something he wanted to do himself, and anyway if he let the Lost Boys find out about what he saw they would just get nervous. It was bad enough having to deal with the fire _kararehe_ – they should just focus on that for now and not worry about other things. He was the leader. It was his job to worry, not theirs.

"Just remain here and continue protecting the den," he ordered. "I'll make the trip myself when the sun is up tomorrow. Travelling to the Red Indian territory and having to sleep at night instead of day really messed up my sleep schedule," he yawned right on cue. "I'll take a nap now and wake up in a bit. You two, just…continue doing whatever you were doing before Miku and I came back," he waved them away, and Piko and Rei left his room with a final word of farewell. Len turned over on his mattress and let his mind drift off towards other thoughts. He found himself thinking about the kiss between Oliver and Miku, and he wondered why that simple kiss traumatised Miku so. Of course he knew it wasn't pleasant to be kissed against your will like that, but still…the way she reacted made it seem like it was more than just a kiss. Though it kind of _was_ more than a kiss. Oliver bit her.

He groaned quietly. This was too much for him to think about now. He was exhausted from his journey and he just wanted to rest well before he continued with his other leader duties tomorrow morning. He would think about Miku's reaction to Oliver's kiss when he woke up, but for now he had to rest. He needed every bit of energy he could muster in order to complete all his tasks tomorrow.


	31. Chapter 31

Her hand drifted up to her lips again. She shuddered, unable to help her reaction in response to the memory. The pirate had kissed her…she squeezed her eyes shut and hid her face, glad that Len was out of the den. She was alone in the room, but for once she didn't mind being alone in Neverland.

" _You're frightened by the possibilities you never could foresee_ …" she stiffened, hearing for the first time the familiar sibilant rasp of the shadows which stalked her at home. Her head shot up, eyes flying open as she looked around for the familiar monsters which haunted her sleep – she had not seen them since she came to Neverland and had forgotten almost entirely about these shadow beings. The darkness which seemed to take on a corporeal form and came to her during her nightmares, which could only be chased away by her father's lullaby. But she couldn't see them, the room was too dark.

"Go away," she breathed out, covering her ears. Something cold seemed to slip between her fingers and she tried to flick it away, shutting her eyes once more. "Go away!" she raised her voice when the shadows continued to torment her, no longer speaking but trying to taunt her with their presence. She had forgotten how persistent they were, how badly they affected her, enough that people called her insane, diagnosed her as schizophrenic – she wasn't, she knew she wasn't, these shadowy beings existed and for some reason she was the only one who could see them. "Please just leave me alone," she whispered, curling in on herself. Why had they suddenly reappeared? She thought she had left them behind on Earth when they failed to materialise the first few nights she spent here…

"Miku?" a familiar voice called her name. At the same time, she felt the shadows' presences fade and, thankful for the intervention, she raised her head to see who the newcomer was. Her gaze landed on silvery hair and dual coloured eyes, an expression of concern that seemed almost out of place on his face. Piko took a careful step into the room, then hesitated as though uncertain about approaching her. "Are you all right?" he asked carefully. "I heard you shouting at someone…" he looked around the room, but evidently failed to spot anyone else. She shook her head, and his tone softened. "Do you need company? I can go and get Gumo…though he's asleep now, so it might take a while before he comes over."

"It's okay," she coughed, meeting his gaze. She could not see very much, but she could make out his features against the faint morning light outside the room. The sunshine didn't penetrate much due to the vines covering the entrance, but her increasing night vision made up for that. "I…I just don't want to be alone right now," she admitted. Piko audibly exhaled and came towards her, gingerly sitting on the mattress beside her. For a while, neither one of them said anything to each other.

"If you want to tell me what happened just now, or why you were so traumatised when you came back to the den, then I'm ready to listen," he suddenly brought up. She glanced at him and saw that he was looking at the wall opposite them, his eyes narrowed. It was odd seeing any of the Lost Boys up at this time, actually. She was only awake because she was unable to sleep. She did get some rest after returning, but she didn't sleep for long and when she woke up, Len was gone. She guessed that he was looking for the water _kararehe_. "It would normally be Rei's job to listen and find out more about what happened to you since he's the one Len relies on the most, but…in your case, it would be better not to put you two in the same room. He's struggling with some personal issues," Piko shrugged.

"I don't mind talking about the pirates," she looked at the wall too, not quite willing to stare at Piko. At this point, given Piko's history of hitting on her, she wasn't _exactly_ comfortable about talking to him like this but he seemed reserved and thoughtful right now, which was probably a good sign. As long as he didn't try to do anything funny. "But what issues are Rei struggling with?" come to think of it, she never really got an answer to that. She remembered Piko mentioning that it would be best to find out more from Rei himself, but in the aftermath of the fight between Rei and Gumo so much happened that it just slipped her mind entirely. She only recalled this because Piko brought it up just now.

"Oh. His issues, huh?" Piko turned away from the wall, looking steadily at her. "Well…again, it would be best if he told you himself about it. And honestly, we have more things to worry about than Rei's personal problems. He'll set that aside for now since we have to consider the big picture here," Piko sounded very detached, which was a first for her. She had never imagined that the playful, flirtatious craftsman could ever assume a position of responsibility. There was clearly more to Piko than met the eye. "I'm curious though. During your journey, did you run into any zombies?" he asked.

"In the Lost Valley, yes. They actually attacked us outside of the Valley," she felt herself opening up slightly as she spoke on, more comfortable with reminiscing her journey than discussing her kiss with the pirate. "We ran into another girl, one of the Red Indians…but I'm not so sure if we really spoke to her or not, because the Panther said that this girl we encountered died a few days ago. But I'm sure she wasn't a ghost either," she shuddered. "Anyway, whoever she was, she predicted we wouldn't be safe even outside the Valley, and she was right. After the zombies appeared, she ran away."

Piko tilted his head. "A girl the Panther claimed to be dead…?" he echoed. "I don't know what to make of that. I guess Len would have a better understanding of this than I would," the silver haired boy shrugged. Miku squinted at him. He didn't seem to be particularly concerned about the fact that she and Len had spoken to a girl who was supposed to be dead. "Oh, I can guess what you're thinking, but the idea of reanimation isn't really that surprising here," Piko added before she could say anything. "It happens all the time. In the Valley itself, the living dead roam free, and on some level the will-o'-the-wisps can, for a short time, possess and control the bodies of the dead and weak of mind. There are other things that are far harder to explain away than running into a girl who was known to be dead for a few days."

She was still very unused to this mature Piko, who was even maintaining a respectful distance from her for once. Even when he was elaborating on his craft and ideals, he rarely bothered to give her any personal space. But she was glad that he was being so considerate this time. "Nero…said that you almost died in the Lost Valley once, right?" she asked cautiously, all this talk about death and the zombies suddenly making her remember this incident. Piko didn't say anything for a moment, turning away from her again, and she was left wondering if her question had touched a nerve.

"Yes, we did. Len, Gumo and I, we almost perished there," when he answered her question his voice was so quiet that she almost missed what he said. She listened, curious to know how much he was willing to divulge. "The zombies are attracted to certain scents. Not just the scent of flesh and life, but also a certain mixture of herbs that the Red Indians anoint their corpses with before throwing them into the Valley. The herbal paste reduces decomposition rate, from what I understand…and I suppose over time the zombies grew to associate the smell with food. Either way, Gumo quite liked the scent of it back then, which I understand since it _does_ smell rather pleasant, and one of the Indians gave Gumo a bottle of it as a present. We cut through the Valley and…well, it wasn't pretty."

Miku suddenly recalled Gumo's face when he warned her not to accept any gifts from the Red Indians. They didn't offer her anything while she was there, but she guessed that this was the incident he had been referring to. She shivered at the thought – she couldn't even imagine what happened as a result of that present… "I don't even want to think about that. Then how did you get yourselves out of that situation?" she asked.

"Gumo dropped the bottle holding the paste and it broke, so it got everywhere. The scent of it really confused the ghouls – I suppose by now you're aware that they track their prey through movement and smell – so we managed to get out of there alive. Took a while before we recovered completely, though. I really thought I was going to die," Piko sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "Gumo was really depressed about it for a long time, he kept blaming himself…but really, it's not his fault. I might have been the one to accept the gift as well. The worst part is that the man who gave him the bottle probably knew we were going to cut through the Valley. The older Red Indians are generally aware of that, and they disapprove of us defiling their sacred land. I guess it might have been his way of eradicating that problem once and for all. Too bad it didn't work out the way he intended," he laughed.

His laughter sounded bitter. Miku remained quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts for a while. What could she say in response to that? She didn't think that her own experience with the walking dead could compare in any way to what Piko just described. It must have been horrible, all those zombies converging upon them…she was suddenly amazed that any of them could continue making the trip through the Lost Valley of Souls, given what they had previously experienced. Len, especially. He was one of those who almost died in the valley, but he continued to prioritise speed and efficiency for the sake of his Lost Children, cutting through the Lost Valley despite what he must remember…

Piko was the one who broke the silence between them. "Well, let's not dwell on that matter. It's not important anyway," his voice sounded flat. "Rei and I didn't approach you after you returned to the den, but we were concerned too in our own ways. What happened to you? If you're not willing to speak about it just yet, I understand as well," he frowned. "Len said that Oliver bit you. But how did that happen? There must have been some lead up to this event," he added logically. She exhaled.

If Piko could talk about his near-death experience, then she could mention what happened between her and Oliver. Their leader had tactfully left out the kiss which was forced upon her, but she knew it was something that she would have to bring up to give Piko a full picture of what had happened. "You know that Oliver accused me of cheating while we were gambling. After that, tensions began to run high between the pirates, because half of them were betting on Oliver to win and the other half bet on me. They didn't actually end up fighting with each other, but the situation got really chaotic and I ended up being cornered by Oliver. He threatened to cut off my finger…or dig out one of my eyes," she shuddered. Piko was listening intently to her story. "But Len stopped him just in time. Before I was released, Oliver kissed me," she brushed her fingers against her mouth, "and shortly after that he bit me hard enough to draw blood," her fingers touched her bottom lip. She remembered the sting.

Piko blinked. "He kissed you?" he asked. "No, forget that…he bit you _there_?" there was something almost like incredulity in his voice. "When Len said he bit you, I assumed it was on the arm. That was the most logical place – but to think that it was here…" he reached out, slender fingers hovering near her mouth. Instinctively she flinched away from him, but Piko cautiously continued to approach her and she found herself remaining still when the tips of his fingers just barely touched her lips. His fingers were thin and warm, soft against her mouth. "How are you feeling now?" he removed his hand, much to her relief. She wasn't afraid of Piko, but that fleeting contact was so surprising that she didn't know how to react properly. For once, she did not feel like Piko was trying to flirt with her or do anything weird.

"Just…strange," she admitted. "Because when Oliver did that, I was reminded of something that I try very hard not to think about," she added quietly. Piko didn't probe, respecting her unspoken desire to keep this matter a secret for now, and he continued to sit silently beside her until she decided to speak again. "You know, Piko, I like it when you're behaving this way. You seem…um, well, _normal_."

He snorted, shoulders shaking slightly. "So when I'm being my usual self, I'm not normal then?" he glanced at her, looking amused. The weak sunlight outside was getting a little stronger, making it easier for her to see him. "I would say that _this_ is abnormal for me. It might not seem that way to you, but I do know when to behave myself and when I have leeway to consider…other things," he smiled. "I might have my needs but first and foremost I am the second oldest Lost Boy, and I have a burden to carry that is almost as great as Len's. So you shouldn't have to feel afraid to approach me," his smile widened. She stared at him, unable to believe that this was really the Utatane Piko she knew.

"I'm not… _afraid_ …" she rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling awkward. She was used to Piko making sexual innuendos and inappropriate comments. Talking so explicitly about his behaviour with him was really very odd. "But I'll keep what you said in mind. Thanks for listening and for answering my question, Piko," then suddenly she thought of another one, triggered by his earlier comment. Maybe she ought to ask him about that too. "Speaking of questions, can I ask you something?" he nodded. She took a deep breath and went ahead. "I thought you and the Lost Boys were all the same age, more or less. But you all always bring up the issue of age, and how it plays a factor in the workings of Neverland…are you really all the same age?" the strange girl's comments about their identities floated to mind, but she tried not to think about that. She was just curious – it didn't mean she doubted Len or the Boys.

Piko didn't answer immediately. She could see his face, but his expression didn't betray anything. She waited quietly for him to say something, thinking it might not be wise to be too pushy. Piko then exhaled audibly and got up from the mattress – she made to follow him, but he turned to look at her and something about the expression on his face made her pause. He seemed almost…sad. "If we all look the same age, then that's all there is to it, right? I mean, it's not possible for people to become immortal…" his words trailed off. Then he cleared his throat. "You should get some rest. Nero will be expecting you to be refreshed and ready to hunt with the rest of us tonight, and he'll be irritated if you fail to keep up with us. Don't expect his rare show of kindness last night to manifest itself once more," he warned her. He didn't allow her to protest, walking out of the room into the sunlight outside.

She wanted to follow him out since he hadn't given her a proper response, but she figured that at this point it wouldn't be any use to bug Piko, so she remained on the bed and thought over his words. He neither explicitly confirmed nor denied that the Lost Boys were all the same age. And mentioning immortality at the end too – she really felt like there was something up with this matter, that maybe the cloaked girl's suspicions were right. Miku hated to admit that _she_ could be right about anything, but it was becoming clear that the Lost Boys were hiding something about their age from her, and she wanted to know exactly what it was. How long would it take before Len admitted that it was okay for her to know certain things about them, about Neverland? By now, her body was already adjusting to her surroundings.

The other Lost Boys were likely asleep now, and she definitely didn't want to go out into the forest by herself, even in the daytime. Not so soon after she returned from the Red Indian territory. Len was not around either…so it would be better if she stayed in this room and maybe tried to go back to sleep. Their day didn't properly start until the sun began to set, anyway. Sighing, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, though she knew it would be difficult to give in to the lull of unconsciousness. Any rest she got would be fitful, and she had already woken up a few times earlier, which was why she was awake now in the first place. But she didn't want Nero to yell at her about not getting enough rest, so…

At least now they considered her independent enough to hunt for food with them. How nice of Piko to tip her off about that. She thought she would just be told to stay in the training room and stab dummies again. Then again, Piko was surprisingly nice towards her today…maybe this was just a dream and the real Piko would greet her with his usual sly grins and lewd remarks when she finally woke up.

* * *

Len followed the river, trying to be patient. He knew that the underground river was quite a distance away from the lagoon, hidden deep within their territory near the Red Indian border, but not being able to recall exactly where it was made his travels frustrating. The sun was high in the sky by now.

The forest was quiet. He missed being here, where the trees were familiar and he was surrounded by the quiet rustle of leaves as the wind blew and small creatures moved through the undergrowth. It was dim here – not as dark as it would be at night, but dark enough. For the past hour or so he had been tracking the constant, gurgling sound of a flowing river, knowing that it would lead him to his destination. He was going against the direction of the current, having started his journey from the lagoon where the river water collected. He frowned at the memory – it was really rather strange...

The lagoon ought to be filled with mermaids. They were always there, be it day or night. Personally Len wasn't too sure if the mermaids were nocturnal or not, or if they even slept. From what he had observed all these centuries, the mermaids were always just _there_. They were a constant here, and though they were not exactly a welcome presence they were always around without fail. Yet when he went to the lagoon today, the clear waters were entirely devoid of any life. At first he thought they might all be hiding underwater – he had no idea where the mermaids spent most of their time, but he knew they didn't always just laze around on the water's surface – but the longer he spent lingering there, watching out for them, the more he was convinced that the mermaids were simply…gone. It was as though they had never existed. The lagoon waters continued lapping against the shore, peaceful and serene.

Deciding that it would be a waste of precious time to stay around the lagoon any longer, he went on his way. He would have to come back to investigate later since he absolutely had to talk to Syrena, but in the meantime he would carry out his other obligations first. The water _kararehe_ lived along the river and, according to Silver Winds, were often found travelling between their territory and the Red Indian plains. The Red Indians believed the water _kararehe_ were messengers of the dead, who ferried the souls of those who passed onwards to the afterlife, where they would be young again forevermore. This meant there was only one part of the river where they could possibly be.

He sighed. He had no doubt that the water beings would demand something in exchange for their assistance, and Silver Winds told him right before she passed on that whatever it was, it would require a great sacrifice on his part. He didn't have a chance to ask her about the nature of the sacrifice he would have to make, so he was rather concerned about that. Whatever it was, he hoped it would not involve giving up his own life. He couldn't die now, not when he still had other things to worry about. He was very old and had lived long past his natural lifespan, but it didn't mean he wanted to die…not just yet, anyway. In the past, he often wondered what it would be like to close his eyes and not have to open them anymore, but now he found that he no longer wanted that to happen to him.

If asked to pinpoint the exact reason for this change, he would not be able to do so. He had no idea why his thinking had changed in recent weeks; he just knew it did. He no longer wanted to simply slip away peacefully into oblivion. Maybe it was the constant worry that filled him, that told him he had to look out for those he was responsible for. Either way, he would continue to survive because being Peter Pan allowed him to live forever and ever. He might as well make full use of his cursed existence.

The sound of rushing water was getting louder and louder. He broke out from the trees and looked around for the river, noticing it flowing past him just a few metres away from where he stood. He lifted his gaze towards the tall, steep rock face that blocked his way onwards and saw the river flowing out from a small crevice in the smooth wall. He had finally arrived at his destination. Now the only thing he had left to do was to look out for the water _kararehe_ themselves, wherever they were. It was easier said than done. From what he knew, they took the shape of water snakes…

He stepped over to the river, looking up and down its length. The river rushed quick and powerful down its course all the way to the lagoon, where he had come from. The water pouring out from the crevice in the rock wall was clean and pure, which was shocking given where it passed through on the way here. This river went through the Lost Valley of Souls, winding through the middle of the cursed burial ground into an underground cavern before surfacing again in his territory. The water _kararehe_ were said to make their home in that inaccessible underground cavern, often coming out to either the Lost Valley or to this side of the rock wall. He would just have to wait and see if any of them were willing to meet him today, and if not he just had to continue waiting here until he really did get to speak to one of them. If they could even speak at all, of course. He wasn't sure about that.

He looked around for a suitable waiting area. His gaze landed on one of the trees which grew fairly near to the river. It was a thin, spindly thing, but it had branches that extended out over the river and one of them seemed thick and sturdy enough to actually support his weight. The tree itself was barren without a single leaf on it, but at least it was still standing. Len made up his mind and went up the tree, settling himself comfortably against the trunk. Then he kept his gaze focused on the river, glad that he was now looking down at it from above rather than just across it. He shouldn't miss it when one of the water _kararehe_ finally swam out then, not unless he fell asleep or something.

So he sat there on his branch and waited, staying so still that anyone else would have thought that he was a beautifully carved sculpture, silent and unmoving. The seconds ticked past into minutes, stretching on into hours, but to Len it didn't matter. Time slipped past him and before he knew it the sun was beginning to set, the orange light reaching him better now that he was high up above the ground rather than sheltered by a thick canopy of leaves. And still the river flowed past without any sign of the water _kararehe_. Len was patient though. He would keep on waiting here until one of them came out. It would only be a matter of time – if the Flame Wolves had been, for some reason, provoked to come out of hiding, then surely the other elementals were undergoing similar levels of turmoil.

To entertain himself, he let himself think. He thought about the things that happened in his past, ranging from what happened within the past week to events that took place years, maybe even centuries ago. He tried to remember his childhood and his life before coming to Neverland, but a great deal of that was just a fuzzy blur – the only thing that really stood out was being swept out to sea, the saltwater filling his lungs and ears, covering his eyes, his sister's desolate screams. Back then he thought he was going to die, though at that age he didn't truly understand what death was like or about. He thought of it as going to sleep and never waking up again, so when his eyes began to close and his lips began to part, the saltwater rushing in everywhere, he thought he would never have to open his eyes. And after having this thought, he lost consciousness, sinking deep into velvety darkness…

It took a while longer, when the orange glow of sunset gave way to the dark, softer hues of the evening, before the first water elemental came out. Len, who was starting to become bored with nothing but his own morbid thoughts to entertain him, suddenly spotted a flash of movement in the water below. He stared downwards intently and saw a single large, incredibly long snake swimming languidly through the river water. It was multi-coloured, with yellow, black and red stripes, and it was easily as long as he was tall. Len knew straightaway that this was one of the water _kararehe_ , so he quickly jumped down from the branch and headed towards the river. "Hey, wait!" he yelled at the giant snake.

He didn't know whether the animal actually understood him or not, but the snake did pause and turn towards him at the sound of his voice. He stood at the water's edge and watched as the snake reared itself, somehow able to keep itself in position despite the constant buffeting of the river current. Its beady eyes stared right at him, challenging him to speak, and he swallowed before he started to talk to the snake. "I know you're one of the water _kararehe_. My name is Kagamine Len. I live in this territory, and…I need your help," he admitted after a pause. The snake continued to stare.

A few seconds later, while he was wondering if the animal could even comprehend what he was saying, the snake suddenly seemed to nod and slithered out of the river, coiling itself up on the riverbank beside him. It raised itself so that it was face-to-face with him, and then it started to hiss. Somehow, Len could understand everything that the animal was saying – the reptilian hissing translated into actual words in his mind, though there was a sibilant quality to its voice. " _I know you are in need of our help. I can smell the reek of the Flame Wolves within your territory. We were curious, so we decided to see for ourselves why the land outside ours smells like death and flame…"_ the snake paused here, looking intently at him with those beady eyes. He could see the snake's scales shimmering, iridescent even in the darkness. " _We can help you, but in exchange we will require a favour from you. I hope that you understand that no creature in the world will help you without reward,_ " the snake warned. Len nodded.

"What do you want of me? Prey? People? My life? I can offer anything that's within my ability," he hesitated. "I have to. It's my duty to ensure that the ones who live in my territory are kept safe from harm. So tell me whatever you want, and I'll see to it that you'll get it," he declared. The snake almost seemed to smile, and he could hear the reptile laughing quietly in his head. He didn't know whether that was good or bad – it wasn't a mocking laugh, but he failed to see the humour in this situation too.

" _Kagamine Len, we do not seek your life or your servitude. We do not even wish for your gratitude. You are but a human – but your human form can do something that our reptilian form cannot,_ " the snake said delicately. Len waited for it to continue, wondering what it could possibly desire from him. " _The other snakes and I have been informed of a strange disturbance in the pirate territory, where the river flows out beyond the lagoon into the open sea. You may have heard of it, no?_ " the snake awaited a response. He nodded. He thought he knew exactly what the snake was talking about. The water _kararehe_ seemed satisfied with that. " _We cannot travel too far from our land. The underground river is our home. We can travel between this territory and the other, but the sea is simply too far away for us to go there. Hence, we are unable to investigate the occurrences there for ourselves."_

Len immediately understood what the snake was getting at. "So you want me to figure out what's going on in the sea?" he asked, just to be certain. The snake nodded in approval, its forked tongue darting quickly in and out of its mouth. "I can do that…and in exchange, you will aid us when the Flame Wolves attack our territory? It'll be in two weeks' time," he added. The snake nodded again.

" _You will not have to worry about the fire beasts. We are far stronger – water in the forest is a more powerful element than fire,_ " the snake reassured him. " _You simply have to find out why the sea is changing. We suspect it has something to do with the revival of our ancestor, the sea hydra, and if it is then…you might have to do something about the situation. You are Peter Pan, are you not?_ " Len was surprised by this sudden address, but he made a sound of acknowledgement. " _Then it is your duty to keep the ecosystem in Neverland balanced. We cannot have the hydra resurrecting. It will cause a great influx of water elementals to flood the area, and Neverland will drown. You must root it out. My brethren and I, in your place, will take care of your territory. You need not be concerned._ "

This seemed to be too easy. He suspected that this hydra the water snake was talking about was an extremely powerful beast, and he might end up regretting taking on this task in the future, but he agreed to the _kararehe_ 's terms anyway – he had to secure the safety of his Lost Children, that was his main priority over anything else. The snake seemed satisfied. _"I will go back to discuss this issue with my brethren. Meet us here again tomorrow at this time. Bring the mermaid queen_ ," the snake added before slithering back into the river water, now swimming against the current towards the crevice in the rock wall. Len watched as the snake, despite its huge bulk, slipped easily into the small crack in the rock and eventually disappeared altogether, the thin tail being the last bit to go inside.

It felt like there was some burden lifted from his shoulders now that he probably no longer had to worry about the Flame Wolves, but as a result he had to run an errand for the water _kararehe_ and he had no idea if this task would be any easier than dealing with the fire elementals. But for now, it didn't make sense to worry about it since he didn't know anything about what he might encounter in the future. So he allowed himself to bask in the feeling of being somewhat stress-free for once, turning away from the river and heading back towards the den. it was getting dark, and the Lost Boys would most likely be waking up from their slumber by now. He would like to hunt with them tonight. It had been a while since they last did that together. For once, he might actually enjoy himself too, since he had finished what he had wanted to do. Meeting Syrena and the water snakes was a problem to be dealt with tomorrow.

He quickened his footsteps. He wanted to make it back to the den before the others left without him, and he longed to feel the wind blowing against his face as they ran through the forest and went after anything stupid enough to still be outside once the Lost Boys decided to hunt for prey.


	32. Chapter 32

He stared at the giant serpent with its seven heads, the forked tongues hissing menacingly at him, the black and red diamond patterns on the undulating body screaming out danger. Len realised that in his hand, he held nothing more than a pitiful rusty dagger, and he stared up at the hydra in horror.

How was he supposed to deal this fearsome beast any damage? The water _kararehe_ had led him into a trap, after all. He should never have trusted the words of the water snakes – why would anyone believe creatures whom even the dark lords of Neverland seemed to be afraid of? But rather than wasting precious time cursing the _kararehe_ , he darted to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the hissing heads.

But there were seven heads, and he couldn't dodge all of them forever. The beast was huge and it was relentless – though he kept weaving his way between the serpentine necks, hoping to trick the hydra into tangling itself up, the beast was clearly far more intelligent than he assumed and continued to attack him, never pausing. The constant sound of snakes hissing was beginning to drive him crazy.

His breaths came out in little pants. Even he was beginning to tire. He looked helplessly out into the ocean horizon but saw nothing in the distance, nothing but death and decay. Even the pirate ship was not anywhere nearby. But during this lapse of attention, one of the seven heads struck him from behind and he let out a cry as sharp fangs plucked him up by the back of his shirt. The venom that dripped from the fangs sizzled as it burnt through cloth, and he resisted the urge to claw at himself – if he did, he would break the skin and the venom would enter his bloodstream. But it hurt, it hurt badly. The hydra began to toss him between its seven heads, as though he was some plaything.

"How demeaning," in the midst of his panic and terror he heard the mocking laugh of a girl. He lifted his gaze and saw a cloaked figure, hovering in the air right before him. At the same time he was tossed aside, and he screamed as he began to fall, the ocean coming up to swallow him – but one of the other heads swooped down to pick him up again, its foul, fetid breath washing over his face. His heart was in his throat. He'd rather die now than allow the hydra to toy with him any further.

"What do you want?" he shouted, though whether it was at the girl or at the hydra itself, he was not too sure. The girl laughed again. He couldn't see her face through the blur of tears that filled his vision. The cold winds were strong at this height, and they lashed across his face, almost leaving welts. He did not think he was going to survive this, and briefly prayed for his Lost Children to be safe – but then there were no such things as gods. If there were, Neverland would not be this way.

"Me? What I want?" the girl asked, drifting closer to him. He felt the hydra head slow, and for a while the water beast remained still, allowing the girl to approach him. One of her pale hands reached out, touching his cheek, and he winced, trying to pull away. Her skin was cold to the touch. "I do not desire much from you, Kagamine Len. I simply want you to _awaken_ from your dream…"

"What dream?" he asked, breaths ragged. Even at this close proximity, he could not see her face. There did not seem to be anything but darkness underneath her hood. The girl laughed a third time, but this time it did not seem mocking – in fact, she sounded almost sad. Again, her hand reached out to him, but this time her fingers pressed lightly against his forehead and suddenly Len was falling, screaming –

His eyes snapped open and he was gasping, lying safe in his bed. He was in his room. Gingerly, he patted himself over, wondering if that really _had_ been just a dream – it felt so real…but he seemed perfectly fine, his clothes completely intact. There was no venom, no injuries. Yet the smell of salt and the sea lingered around him, making him wonder if what he just saw was some kind of vision…

He got up from the mattress, remembering that the water _kararehe_ had asked to meet him again at the same spot as yesterday, with Syrena the mermaid queen by his side. But as he left the empty cave – Miku was not in, she must be outside with the others – he thought he heard ghostly laughter, and then the sound of a girl whispering to him. " _Wrong dream_ ," the disembodied voice murmured.

But when he whipped around, looking for the speaker, he saw that the room was still empty.

* * *

When Len journeyed to the lagoon, he saw that the mermaids were back. Syrena was sitting placidly by the shore, the waves lapping peacefully at the sand. He wasted no time hurrying over to her.

"Kagamine Len," she greeted him as she noticed his approach. The other mermaids lifted their gazes, watching him. The atmosphere was almost idyllic, and he might have been fooled to believe that all was well if he did not see the faint lines of worry that had formed, almost overnight, on the mermaid queen's face. "I am glad to see you. There is much we need to discuss, you and I," she began to rise.

"I know," he interrupted her. She watched him curiously as the mermaids murmured to each other, speaking in their own tongue. He could not understand them and did not care to do so, either. "But first I need you to accompany me somewhere. The snakes…the water _kararehe_ told me to find them today by the river, and bring you along. In exchange they will offer their help against the wolves," he spoke in a rush, hoping that the urgency in his words would reach Syrena. The queen shut her eyes.

"I see," she whispered. "In that case, then yes, I will follow. I believe that what the water _kararehe_ have to tell you will not be very different from what I wished to say, anyway," she got up from the shore, still completely naked – the mermaids were always naked, both in and out of the water. Most of them were unable to travel for far without being close to a water source, so despite being able to climb out of the lagoon, they could never leave the vicinity of a river or lake. Syrena, being the queen, was the only mermaid who could travel without water nearby – but then he remembered what he saw in the pirate territory and corrected himself. At that time, they had not been near any freshwater.

But besides that, she was supposed to be dead. How was she still moving and standing? The queen swept an arm out towards him, gesturing to him to lead the way, and so the both of them delved into the depths of the forest, Syrena diving back into the river the first chance she got and following him that way. They made quick progress through the forest, and the journey back to the home of the water _kararehe_ seemed to take less time than Len remembered. He and the mermaid queen kept their thoughts to themselves, but he could practically feel Syrena thinking. What was so important that she was willing to leave her people? Was it just because the water _kararehe_ demanded it of her?

"Where did all the mermaids go yesterday?" Len asked, remembering how he had found the lagoon to be empty the first time he travelled to find the water beasts. Syrena, who was effortlessly keeping up with him through the river, stopped and looked up at him. She had no trouble keeping herself still against the current. Her brown eyes were infinite pools of wisdom and knowledge, but for some reason Len thought she looked almost…afraid, today. Something was no doubt happening to Syrena and her people, and he figured it was something to do with his encounter in the pirate territory.

"We were…searching. For an alternative," she answered cryptically. Len frowned and moved a little closer to the river's edge, crouching down to hear Syrena better. The mermaid queen sighed. "I am uncertain how much you know, since you have already met with the water _kararehe_. But I, too, had a meeting with them a few days ago. Shortly after that, I tried to find you, but two of your Lost Boys informed me that you were away on a journey and they were not sure how long it would be before you returned. So I decided that, until then, it would be good for us to find an alternative solution."

"To what? The resurrection of the hydra?" Len asked, narrowing his eyes. The mention of the hydra made him wince – his strangely realistic dream was still fresh in his mind. Was it a prophecy of some sort, or just the workings of his troubled mind? The queen shook her head again, though surprise was evident on her face – perhaps she did not think that he would know of the sea beast.

"In a way, yes. But the hydra affects the water _kararehe_ the most of all. No, to us mermaids, we have other things to worry about. If the hydra really reawakens, there will be more to deal with than just a seven-headed serpent," she cautioned. But she did not say more after that, ignoring his request for more information, and continued swimming down the river towards the border between the lands. Len sighed, but decided to press onwards as well, following the river all the way to where he first saw the water _kararehe_. This time though, he did not have to wait. There were two snakes there.

The two water snakes – they looked identical, with the same yellow, red and black patterns as each other. Len was suddenly reminded of the diamond pattern of the hydra in his dreams and shrunk back, an automatic reaction. Thankfully, no one else noticed. "You have summoned Syrena, and so she is here," the mermaid queen held herself still in the current, inclining her head towards the two snakes. The snakes seemed to nod back in response, then they both slithered out of the river.

Len watched warily. He wanted to know what was going on – why they had insisted on him returning with Syrena, and why they were so concerned about the sea hydra. He wasn't taking any chances with what he had agreed to do. " _Kagamine Len,_ " one of the snakes communicated telepathically with him once more, " _we have decided to offer you our help. In exchange you must assist the mermaids,_ " the snake laid out its terms. Len's eyes widened in surprise and he looked at Syrena. She was smiling at him.

"What help do the mermaids require?" he asked, confused. He thought that he was supposed to find the hydra and prevent its revival. The other snake, the one who had not spoken, coiled itself up and watched them with beady, unblinking eyes. The mermaid queen came onto dry land, her dark hair covering her shoulders, seeming to glisten with something other than water – magic and starlight, perhaps. He was suddenly tempted to reach out and cut a lock of that hair, and burn it to make a wish – but he shook himself out of it. That was a quick and terrible solution, and would no doubt result in him losing something even more important than his territory. He would not risk it.

"We have felt the same disturbances, coming all the way from the sea," Syrena began, catching his attention. "The sea, the river, the waterfall, the lagoon…all the water in Neverland is connected, and when one thing happens somewhere far away, we who live in the water can feel it," she met his gaze, her brown eyes so dark they looked almost black. "And we have felt the same thing as the water _kararehe_. A ripple…no, more than a ripple. An explosion in the middle of Neverland's vast sea."

"An explosion?" Len asked, frowning. He was intrigued by what she was saying, nevertheless. Syrena nodded, expression grave. The two water snakes watched wordlessly, so still that Len had to check once or twice to make sure that they weren't dead. The mermaid queen continued, and he listened.

"One of terrible magnitude. And after that…" she hesitated, "there were other disturbances. You should know that there are more water dwellers in Neverland than the mermaids. You and your Lost Boys claim that we are sirens, rather than mermaids – but that is not true. There are other beings which would suit the name _siren_ much better than we do," the queen shook her head. "The ones who live in the sea, whose magic prevents anyone from sailing beyond Neverland's horizon. The reason why, no matter how far they go, the pirates will never be able to find a way out of here."

"Sirens? But…no, I have never heard of there being any other water dwellers in Neverland," Len argued, unable to believe what the queen was telling him. The water snakes hissed, a low, reptilian sound, and he shut his mouth. Maybe they really had just been exceptionally good at concealing themselves…it wasn't as though Len knew of everything in Neverland, anyway. The beady eyes of the snakes watched him.

"The sirens are similar to us mermaids, one of the main differences being that they live in the sea, in saltwater, rather than in freshwater as we do," the mermaid queen continued where she left off. "Since you travelled through the pirate territory, it is possible you might have seen one…they are able to travel greater distances across dry land than we can, but they cannot leave the sea. Freshwater is poison to them, so they cannot go past the river," the mermaid queen suddenly reached out, grabbing his arms. Len stiffened. "If you have seen one of them, you must tell us!"

"A siren…" he murmured. He thought about the woman he had seen. "Myariah? I did see her in the pirates' land, which is strange since she is supposed to be dead – but if you say that sirens are not much different from you mermaids, then perhaps she was one of them," he offered. Syrena abruptly let go of him, a look of horror spreading across her face, and Len frowned. "Do not tell me that she is actually revived from the dead," he shook his head. This situation was getting stranger and stranger.

"It is the power of the hydra. He is creating new sirens," Syrena's brown eyes were wide. "No, no – Myariah is dead and gone, you saw to that. But sirens are created from the dead essences of our kind, and they are immortal, unlike us – we have long lives but we can die. There are few of them, and they can only be created by the sleeping hydra. If you saw one that looked just like Myariah, then it must have been made using her essence…so the hydra is awakening, as we have feared!" she glanced at the water snakes. The _kararehe_ were hissing, their forked tongues darting in and out.

"What can we do?" Len asked, concerned. This sounded like it was terribly important. What the water _kararehe_ said yesterday about keeping Neverland's ecosystem in check rang through his mind – he had no doubt that if this hydra, who was the ancestor of the water _kararehe_ , were to awaken, it would throw the entire land into complete disarray. He didn't even like the sound of these sirens.

" _Destroy the siren_ s," the snake which first spoke to him hissed, sounding worried – or as worried as a reptilian voice could be, anyway. " _The sirens and the hydra have a mutually beneficial relationship. He occasionally has waking dreams, where he spins the essences of dead mermaids into new sirens, and every new siren gives him strength. If you get rid of all of them, you can send him back to sleep._ "

Len scowled. "But Syrena just said that the sirens are immortal," he pointed out. The task sounded hopeless already. The mermaid queen shook her head at that, something almost like relief in her eyes. He rounded on her, his scowl deepening, and the mermaid queen fell back into the river, perhaps to protect herself against his glare. "Are you sending me to fight a group of invulnerable women?" he demanded. This situation was ridiculous. He almost wanted to take his chances with the wolves.

"They do have their weaknesses. And no one ever said that immortals cannot die," Syrena answered placidly, her serene voice countering his own aggression. Len felt himself calming down slightly as the lulling voice of the mermaid swept over him. "Sirens remove their hearts from their bodies so that they can live forever, even when hurt. But those hearts cannot survive for long outside of a warm body, so to work around that, from what I understand the hearts are all kept together in a vase somewhere, ever beating, keeping each other warm," Syrena explained. Len made a face of disgust. "Of course, that is merely a rumour, but I'm sure there is truth to it. You just need to find the hearts."

"That sounds disgusting," Len stated. The mermaid queen and the snakes did not refute that. "But where is this vase? I can't just scour the open sea, searching for a vase. I don't even know how big the vase is!" he threw up his hands in frustration. The mermaid queen smiled, looking amused, and Len resisted the urge to shoot her a glare. She was clearly finding entertainment at his expense.

" _There is a caretaker. The Keeper of the Hearts, somewhere out in the open ocean. A human being,_ " the other snake, who had stayed silent the entire time, finally spoke to him. " _An old story passed down through the river, but the waters tell us that it is true. One human being who keeps a map of the seas, and with that the location where the vase is hidden. That is all we can say to help you._ "

A map? Len instantly thought of Hook. Surely the pirate captain would have a map of the sea. It would not hurt to check, at least. "I'll see what I can do," he assured them, backing away from the river. The current continued to flow, the river gurgling quietly as the water rushed past. Before Len could retreat from the riverbank though, he found the two snakes suddenly coiling around his feet, keeping him there. He tried to step away but the _kararehe_ refused to budge – he could swear that they were right next to the river just seconds ago. Syrena watched on impassively, face blank.

" _You will not just see what you can do, Peter Pan,_ " one of the snakes hissed. " _You must succeed in your task and return to inform us before we will offer you any assistance. Leave tonight, and make haste. We will await your news – be back within two weeks, before the Flame Wolves attack your territory. Unless you return with assurance that all is well, we will not help you protect your land_."

Len narrowed his eyes, ceasing his struggles. He looked down at the snakes. "Is that a threat?" he asked, keeping his calm though he felt anything but peaceful. If only he and his Lost Children could face the magic of the Flame Wolves without their help – but he knew that was unlikely. They did not know how many wolves there were, and trees burnt easily. They needed all the help they could get.

" _This is not a threat_ ," the other snake murmured, its reptilian voice cold. " _It is a promise_."

* * *

Miku grimaced, carrying the dead rabbit an arm's length away from her as she trekked through the forest. She almost missed training underground. It was better than running around, stabbing animals and hoping they would die and not put up too much of a struggle. The rabbit stared back at her.

"Why are you making that face?" Gumo, who had offered to accompany her – all the other Lost Boys looked horrified at the idea of being paired up with her – clapped her on the shoulder. She winced. Gumo's hand had struck her a little too hard. "Oh, sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes," the boy noticed and gave her an apologetic grin. Yes, Gumo was definitely strong. She had watched him wrestle a full-grown buck to the ground just now and he was now carrying the dead deer across his shoulders, as though it weighed no more than a feather. It made her rabbit look rather pathetic.

"I guess that hunting isn't really my thing," she considered the rabbit, then looked back at Gumo's dead buck. The green haired boy just laughed quietly, shaking his head – she didn't know whether he was laughing with her or at her, but she certainly hoped it wasn't the latter. She was already trying her best out here. It had been nearing dawn before she finally managed to kill this dumb animal.

Before she could open her mouth to say something else, Gumo suddenly paused, green gaze darting around their surroundings. "Wait," he hissed, dropping the buck and crouching low. Miku did the same, her heart suddenly thudding in her chest. Gumo crawled through the tall grass of the forest, and Miku followed suit, thankfully leaving the dead rabbit behind. The long grass tickled her nose, and she had to resist the urge to sneeze. The air smelled like damp and rot. "There's something waiting there, at the other end of the clearing," he whispered when she caught up to him, peering over an old log.

Miku peeked over the log and failed to see anything, but she also knew that her eyesight in the forest could not compare to Gumo's, so she kept quiet. Gumo frowned, breathing in and out, and then he ducked back down so that the log was overhead. She followed suit, waiting for him to say something more. "Wolves," he whispered. "But I can't tell from here if it's a pack or just Rei…"

She frowned. What did he mean by 'just Rei'? But before she could ask, Gumo sprang up to his feet and gestured to her to go back to their fallen prey. She wanted to object – how could she just let him run off into the forest by himself to face a pack of wolves? – but he gave her a reassuring smile and hopped over the fallen log, racing towards the other end of the clearing. Then she could see him no more. Miku sighed and eyed the dead prey distastefully – now she'd have to go all the way back to where she and Gumo dropped them. It wasn't very far away, but she didn't want to be near those things. It was bad enough trying to eat them after they were cooked. Their dead eyes stared at her.

She wondered if she was supposed to wait for Gumo or just go back to the den by herself. But she quickly ruled out the second thought – there was no way she could drag the buck all the way back, and if she just left it here other predators were bound to take the meat. So she hunkered down and waited for Gumo to return, hoping that it wouldn't take too long. When she looked up into the sky past the treetops, she could see the sky was a milky pale blue, and she was now so used to the darkness that being up in the daytime made her feel vaguely uncomfortable. She let out a sigh.

Minutes passed, and Gumo still had yet to return. She couldn't even hear what he was up to, all the way at the other side of the clearing. The thick, dense forest captured all sound, muffling it and turning it back into itself. She peered up, trying to see past the trees, but she couldn't spot anything of interest and went back to staring at the dead buck. She was suddenly reminded of that time at night when the headless deer chased her through the forest…shivering, she pushed the memory away. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about that. She glanced around nervously.

At least the will-o'-the-wisps didn't pop up in the daytime. She assumed they didn't, at any rate. When Piko explained what the malicious spirits were to her, he specifically told her to watch out for them at night, so during the daytime everything should be fine. But that didn't make things any less boring for her. Gumo still hadn't returned, and she was beginning to wonder if he had forgotten about her and gone back to the den. But surely not – Nero perhaps, but not Gumo. What could be taking the Lost Boy so long, then? Was he in trouble? Her palms were beginning to get sweaty.

"Hey, Miku," a voice suddenly rang out behind her shoulder and she let out a small shriek, whipping around – Piko stood over her, tilting his head quizzically, one hand on his hip. She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the silver haired boy – even though being around him was a little awkward, at least it was another Lost Boy and not some dangerous beast. "What are you doing, crouching here by yourself?" Piko peered down at her. "Weren't you supposed to be with Gumo?"

She noticed that his hands were empty, and wondered if he had even been hunting in the first place. "He said there was something up ahead…wolves, I remember. And he said it might be Rei, so he went to check it out," she explained. Piko blinked, then looked up at the clearing Gumo mentioned – Miku looked over her shoulder and saw that there was still nothing there. This was getting very strange.

"He said Rei? You're certain?" Piko asked, directing his attention back to her. She nodded – she was absolutely sure, she remembered being surprised at the mention of his name – and Piko frowned. "Well, that's odd. Rei normally doesn't come all the way to this part of the forest. Too near Nero's favoured hunting spot, and the two of them don't like to share," he shook his head. "I should go take a look as well. No, you can't come along," he added before she could say a single word. "Gumo left you behind for a reason. Just watch your prey," his gaze went to the dead buck and she saw a brief grimace cross his face before he delicately picked his way through the tall grass, continuing on his way.

She was very tempted to get up and walk over to see what was going on now, but she decided not to – the last time she disobeyed an order and went off on her own she got attacked by a Flame Wolf. Miku refused to tempt Fate again. She watched the silver haired boy as he crossed the clearing and disappeared into the trees beyond, then looked back at their prey and resumed her lonely vigil. Now she was waiting for both Gumo and Piko. It honestly wouldn't be surprising at all if Nero suddenly –

"What are you doing here?" Nero's voice rang out from some distance away. Her head jerked up – speak of the Devil! Nero narrowed his violet eyes at her, giving her a suspicious stare. "Are you lazing around, Hatsune? While the rest of us are hunting for prey – to feed _you_ , by the way?" he added, now sounding almost accusatory. Miku frowned. She had only run into Nero for five seconds and he had already managed to annoy her. Honestly, she was still rather shocked about how he had comforted her when she returned to the den yesterday. She wondered if all that had just been a dream…

She told him the exact same thing she told Piko, and Nero glanced up at the clearing as well. His gaze was thoughtful. "Rei, hmm?" he murmured, more to himself than to her. "Makes sense. He hasn't been behaving like himself lately…" he looked down at her, as though suddenly remembering her presence. "I should go and take a look myself. You stay here," he ordered. She didn't even bother to protest, knowing that Nero would ignore her no matter what she said, and just watched as the Lost Boy strode across the clearing. Well, that was all of them, assuming that it really was Rei lurking among the trees beyond. All the Lost Boys were there and she was left with two dead animals for company.

At first she waited, but then none of the boys returned and she began to feel extremely uneasy. It was odd that all three of them were taking so long. If the whole point was to figure out whether or not it really was Rei out there among the trees, then surely it shouldn't take this long? She glanced at the rabbit, undecided on whether or not she ought to go ahead and investigate. The dead animal just stared right back at her, eyes unblinking, offering no help whatsoever. Miku sighed, frustrated by this stupid situation – and just then she heard a loud screech, coming from the trees.

She whipped around, looking for the source of the sound. She saw birds taking off from the forest, but whatever it was which had screamed did not make the sound again. She bit her lip. Now she really wanted to know what the heck was going on. Making up her mind to go forth and search for the boys, she went cautiously to the other end of the clearing, parting the plants in her way and slipping through the trees. The darkness swallowed her up and she found herself standing there, wondering about where to go. The branches underfoot were all broken – something had trampled past here.

Suddenly she heard someone shouting, and Miku strained her ears to listen for the source. She could hear it coming from her left and instantly went in that direction, quite confident that the voices belonged to the Lost Boys, though she could not identify precisely who was yelling. The further she went, the clearer the muddled voices became, and she suddenly could hear Nero and Piko shouting at each other, which worried her. She slipped forward, keeping herself close to the ground so that it would be harder to spot her. All this time spent in the forest was certainly teaching her a few tricks.

Peering through a gap in the plants, she saw the Lost Boys all standing along a wide pathway, Piko and Nero obviously fighting about something again. It was still strange to see Piko raising his voice – though she had seen it before once, right before she set off to the Red Indian plains with Len, it still seemed so unlike the relatively mild craftsman. "You're the one jumping to conclusions!" Piko was yelling at a mutinous looking Nero. "Can you stop trying to stir up trouble all the time? What, do you think that just because Len isn't here you can pick on Gumo? He's the youngest, but he's _not_ –"

"You should stop assuming anything about me," Nero hissed, cutting off the silver haired boy. "I did _not_ say anything about his situation. I just said that he should stop thinking so much about – come on! We all know that I'm thinking the truth!" Nero raised his voice too, folding his arms across his chest. Whatever the argument was about, it was obviously intense. Miku glanced at the other Lost Boys, hoping to pick up some kind of clue. Gumo was watching Nero and Piko, a strange expression on his face – she wasn't sure if he was more worried or upset. Rei was there as well, standing a little distance away from the other two, and as she turned to look at him his golden eyes snapped up, meeting her gaze. She froze, and Rei watched her – then, he carefully raised a finger to his lips.

She did as he indicated, crouching down further and keeping herself very quiet. Though she could no longer see the boys, she could hear them perfectly well. "Nero, Piko, please stop fighting," Gumo called out, sounding resigned. "I know it's all my fault, I shouldn't have started the topic in the first place. Can we _please_ just get back to what's important? We have better things to discuss than this!"

"Yeah, like your obvious mummy issues!" Nero retorted. Miku gulped quietly. Nero's tone was harsh, his words dripping with venom. "God, get _over_ it, Gumo! You're never going back to Earth! Stop writing your stupid letters since you already know that Len isn't fucking _delivering_ them –" then Nero's words were cut off, followed by a muffled cry, as though someone was forcing their hand over Nero's mouth. Miku glanced up, wondering about what was going on. She saw Piko with his hand pressed over the blond haired boy's mouth, preventing him from speaking – but the damage had clearly been done. Gumo's face was absolutely black. She had never seen him this way before.

"You didn't need to bring that up," Rei spoke for the first time, his smooth voice cutting in. Miku had practically forgotten what his voice sounded like, but now it sent a shiver down her spine. She was reminded of the time she accidentally stumbled into his room and thought that his mesmerising voice would be a very dangerous weapon. "Nero, apologise at once. That was uncalled for, and you know it," he added sharply. Nero gave Rei a frightening glare, his amethyst eyes hard and resolute. He shook his head, and her gaze darted over to Gumo. He was gasping now, like he was about to choke – concerned, she almost jumped out of her hiding place, but then her eyes widened and she held herself back.

Gumo seemed to be _growing_ in size. The clothes he wore ripped under his changing skin, and before she could even blink the boy was gone, and in his place there was an extremely angry grizzly bear. He swiped a heavy paw at Piko and Nero, who both leapt out of the way right in time. Nero snarled at the bear, and just like that he changed as well – though instead of becoming a bear, Nero turned into a sleek tiger, fierce and full of rage. She gaped in horror, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but then someone tapped her on her shoulder and she saw Rei standing beside her. Without a word he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the clearing, Piko following the two of them.

She looked back and saw the bear and tiger fighting, the big cat dancing lithely around the bear as the grizzly screamed in fury. She never imagined… "Next time, if we tell you not to follow us, please don't," Piko frowned at her, sounding the way he usually did despite how quickly they were running. She nodded, unable to say anything in response, and the three of them continued to flee. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She hoped that Nero and Gumo would be okay, but…what was going on?


	33. Chapter 33

Piko sighed, sounding uncharacteristically irritated. "You don't need to know what I transform into," he repeated, folding his arms defensively across his chest. "Stop asking unimportant questions!"

"I'm curious!" Miku protested, her mind still whirling. Rei and Piko had run all the way to the other end of their territory, as far away as they could get from Nero and Gumo without actually crossing over onto someone else's land. Rei was staring up at the sky, his hands shoved inside his pockets. His dark hair fell back from his face, inky black against his pale skin. He was still and unmoving.

Piko shot her a look of exasperation. "There are other things to think about for now," he told her, pushing his long fringe out of his eyes. He had been rather subdued ever since they stopped running. "Like how long Nero and Gumo will have a go at each other before they calm down. Gumo doesn't get angry easily, but when he does…" his voice trailed off, and he shrugged, letting his silence speak for him. Miku didn't want to think about that either. The two boys – animals? – definitely hadn't been in the best of moods when she saw them changing. She shuddered. She'd never have thought…

"Yeah, there are," Rei suddenly agreed, looking over at the two of them. Both she and Piko turned to stare. She couldn't remember the last time she had spent this long in Rei's vicinity. "Like where Len might be. He ought to know about this, but he didn't say anything about where he was going."

"I think he's looking for the water _kararehe_ ," Miku offered timidly, not very sure about how to talk to Rei. The boy gave her a curious look, clearly waiting for her to continue, and she swallowed, thinking about what more she could say. "I mean, the whole point of us going to visit Silver Winds was to get the location of the water _kararehe_. He was gone yesterday too, so I suppose he's still searching for them. He was asleep when I woke up last night, and I didn't want to bother him…"

"I don't suppose you'd happen to know where the water _kararehe_ might be?" Rei asked. She shook her head, shrugging – Len never said anything about _that_ to her – and Rei frowned, exchanging a look with Piko. "I don't think it'd be a good idea for either one of us to try and separate Nero and Gumo," he spoke to the other Lost Boy. Piko nodded in agreement. "We don't have the brute force necessary to interrupt a fight between a bear and a tiger, and I don't really want to get myself hurt. The best thing we can do is to return to the den and wait for them to tire themselves out."

"And just leave them?" Miku blurted out, concerned about Gumo – and to some extent, Nero as well. The blond boy may still be tough and prickly, his barbed tongue more capable of insults than praise, but he was still one of the Lost Children and he _had_ comforted her in his own small way when she and Len returned from their journey. It would be a lie to say that she didn't care at all for him.

"What more can we do?" Piko kicked at the dirt, looking sullen. "Rei's a wolf, if that wasn't already obvious enough to you. Wolves are pack animals – a single wolf can't do anything to a bear or a tiger. And me…let's not talk about me," he turned around, dual coloured eyes glinting with some unidentifiable emotion. "We should head back to the den. Len might be back by now, it's getting late," he tilted his head, observing the sun up in the sky. The faint light streaming through the trees was getting dim, so it was probably approaching sunset. Miku felt like time was going past quickly.

She knew she couldn't refute their logic. Of course she was worried, but she didn't want Rei or Piko to hurt themselves either, and anyway she didn't really know much about their situation. She didn't want to cause any trouble, so in the end she nodded and followed the boys as they led the way back to the den. Neither one of them had explained yet why they could transform into animals, and that wasn't something she wanted to ask while they were exposed in the forest. She kept the question in mind so that she could ask Piko later. Rei didn't seem like he was in the mood to talk to anyone.

Rei put some distance between him and Miku, walking as quickly as he could with his hands stuffed inside his pockets. The girl's scent was getting to him, and it took everything he had to hold himself back from lunging out towards her and tearing her neck out. Piko could probably sense his distress – he had always been very intuitive – and he put himself between Rei and Miku, which helped calm him down a little bit. He hadn't thought about eating her while they were running from Nero and Gumo, but once they were relatively safe his wolfish instincts kicked in, and the desire for warm flesh grew.

To tell the truth, Rei had been pretty happy when Miku accompanied Len to speak with Silver Winds. The girl not being around made his life much easier, and for a few days he could put his bloodlust out of his mind. He actually thought he got it under control, since even when she returned he didn't want to slink close to her, lashing out when she wasn't looking. Though of course that might be because everyone had been concerned about her, and even he was no exception.

But when they were running, he could smell the blood, pumping hot and fast through her veins, and the animalistic hunger within his gut reared its head, searching for the source of that vitality. It thirsted for blood and yearned for living flesh, a craving so sharp and fierce that for once, Rei was frightened. He was rarely afraid, and this was definitely the first time he felt afraid of himself.

He stepped on a branch, the loud cracking sound making him jump. Piko and Miku paused behind him, and Rei took in a deep breath, shaking himself slightly before continuing on his way. He was getting distracted, and he couldn't allow that – the forest was unkind, even to those who made their home in its shadowy depths. He practically begged his animal half to leave him alone for a moment, and the wolf finally growled and complied, slipping into the deepest recesses of his consciousness. Relieved, Rei picked his way carefully through the undergrowth, his shoulders loosening slightly.

"Rei," Piko caught up with him, momentarily leaving Miku to walk alone, "are you still…affected?" he asked carefully, his voice a quiet whisper so that the girl wouldn't be able to hear them talking. Rei paused, wondering what to answer, and finally gave the silver haired boy a curt nod in response. Piko's mismatched eyes narrowed, his usual empty smile replaced by the true cunning and wisdom he hid from everyone except his closest friends. "How badly?" he asked, rather bluntly. Rei flinched.

"I've got it under control for now," he answered coldly, avoiding Piko's gaze. Well, he wasn't lying. Piko didn't say anything, instead falling back to walk beside Miku, and Rei exhaled, not bothering to turn back. He didn't have to turn to know that Piko was giving him suspicious stares, engaging Miku in light conversation so that she wouldn't ask any sensitive questions about Rei's behaviour.

Perhaps out of all of them, Piko was the one who understood their true natures best. He was never exactly like the rest of them. Where Rei, Nero and Gumo bit and clawed, fighting tooth and nail for the best share of any meat, Piko had always been rather averse to violence, only eating flesh since it was the easiest sustenance to obtain in the forest. Berries and herbs were sparse here, though Piko did have an uncanny knack for figuring out when plants would bloom and the few wild fruits in the forest would ripen. Piko was more observer than participant, and in that aspect he was the most similar to Miku. Maybe that was why he spent so much more time with her than with…well, them.

Probably because she wasn't threatening to him. Miku was the furthest thing from threatening Rei had ever seen. "You two go ahead," Rei turned his head, catching the two of them by surprise. Miku looked up at him, green eyes wide. He wondered why that expression of hers held no fear. "I think I want to stay in the forest for a while longer. I feel a little…restless," he explained vaguely, catching Piko's gaze. The boy nodded in understanding, and Rei relaxed, knowing Piko would back him up.

"Yeah, let's go," Piko turned towards Miku, placing a hand on her shoulder and steering her down the path. Miku frowned, staring at him as they walked past, and Rei stiffened as her scent wafted through the air towards him. Instinctively, his fingers curled up into fists, but thankfully the moment passed and she was safely past him, Piko turning back to look warningly at him. "Don't stay away from the den again," he called out. "You know how angry Len will get if you do. Don't drag the rest of us down with you, we have enough problems," he added, sounding uncharacteristically bitter.

"You don't need to worry about that," he called back, though he wished he could just hide outside in the forest again like last time instead of having to go back to that den, filled with the tantalising scent of Miku's skin. Piko nodded, pushing Miku down the path, and Rei watched until the two of them were gone from his line of sight. He wondered if Gumo and Nero had calmed down by now…

Turning, he walked deeper into the forest, whistling loudly as he went. He just barely heard the familiar soft footfalls that followed him at his command, and slowly he began to walk faster, the footsteps quickening to match his pace. He ran down the faint path, towards a low slope past the slow river, and leapt across the flowing water, changing as he did so. He jumped as a human, and landed on all four paws as a wolf, turning his head to observe his pack as he ran through the trees.

Hungry yellow eyes followed him, the wolves accompanying the alpha as he ran with no destination in mind. He paused, throwing back his head to howl at the sky, and the wolves followed suit, the mournful crescendo ringing through the forest. Night was falling, and the wolf pack would hunt.

* * *

Miku shuddered, hearing the sorrowful howling all around the forest. It echoed, the sound seeming to build and build before suddenly dissipating, leaving built-up tension all around them. Piko looked around, seemingly unsettled as well, but he just shook his head and hurried them through the forest, clearly reluctant to spend time outside. Miku wondered if Rei was one of the howling wolves…

"I hope Len's back by now," Piko murmured, talking to himself more than to her. "He's the only one who can separate Nero and Gumo, if they happen to still be fighting. Which is entirely possible, since Nero's bloodthirst is insatiable and Gumo…I rarely see him flare up that way," he tutted. "Everyone knows it's best not to say anything about his mother. Nero must really have a death wish today."

"What happened to Gumo's mother?" Miku asked hesitantly, unsure about bringing up something that was obviously sensitive, but curious about it nevertheless. Piko gave her a sharp look and she flinched back, startled by the intensity of his gaze – she still wasn't used to Piko being serious, and she actually wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to it. "Uh…I guess that's a secret too…" she mumbled.

"You should ask Gumo when he calms down. He won't get mad if you ask nicely," Piko shrugged, picking his way delicately through a gap in the undergrowth. Miku wondered why he seemed to be so prickly today. His mood had been pretty foul ever since she asked what animal he changed into. Maybe that was a sensitive topic for him – but how was she to know that? "We're reaching the den. When we get there, let's try to look for Len. If he's not in, I'll have to search for him. Don't follow me," he added, giving her a quick grin. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "It's approaching night-time and we don't want the will-o'-the-wisps to get you now, do we?" he laughed gently. She grimaced.

"Why do I feel like you treat me like a child?" she complained, half-jokingly. Piko's grin changed, becoming more genuine, and suddenly he reached out, tilting her chin up with his slender fingertips. She stiffened, startled by the unexpected action – her feet were suddenly rooted to the ground.

"Then what? Would you rather have me treat you as a woman?" he whispered, stepping closer to her. She wanted to yank her head away, but then he leant down towards her so that their faces were just inches apart. "It's been a long time since I've been with someone," his words came out in a languid drawl. Her heart was racing. She really wanted to get away, but her feet wouldn't obey her.

"Piko!" a sharp voice rang through the forest, and Piko let go of her as though he had been burnt. She turned, grateful for the interruption, and saw Len standing there, watching them with narrowed eyes and his arms folded across his chest. "I'll pretend I didn't see you trying to flirt with her. Where are the others?" he asked, acknowledging her with just the smallest of nods. Len had impeccable timing – Miku really didn't have any idea what would have happened if he didn't arrive in time.

She had been terrified out of her wits. While it wasn't the first time Piko had hit on her, it was still too soon after the incident with Oliver for her to tolerate any sexual or flirtatious advances. She dragged a shaky hand across her jaw as Piko reported to Len, informing their leader of what was going on between the Lost Boys. Len seemed to become more and more concerned as he listened.

"I see. Gumo and Nero are the most pressing issue, then. Rei can take care of himself, so I won't intervene unless he fails to return to the den by tomorrow," Len sighed once Piko was done talking, looking out towards the forest. Miku realised then that Len looked tired…no, not just tired. He was almost haggard in appearance. Since when were there such dark circles underneath his blue eyes? Or perhaps they had always been there and she simply never noticed them until now. "Miku, you should come with me to stop Nero and Gumo," Len turned, not even waiting for her to respond.

Piko interjected on her behalf. "Miku?" he exclaimed, causing Len to glance back at him, a single eyebrow raised quizzically. "What for? She can't transform – it would do her more harm than good to be there when separating Nero and Gumo. They might turn on her and attack her!" Miku wasn't sure how she felt about Piko speaking up for her. After all, just a while ago he had been making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Len just sighed, eyes lifting to meet hers. His gaze was unreadable.

"Do you want to follow me, or stay in the den?" he asked. She swallowed. It seemed like it was a choice between facing two angry predators, or staying alone with Piko…she hesitated, carefully considering her options, and finally made her decision, hurrying over to Len's side. Piko gave her a look of amusement but didn't protest, instead waving and bidding them farewell as he continued in the direction of the den. Len and Miku exchanged a look, Miku trying hard not to feel nervous.

"How are you going to separate Nero and Gumo? They were fighting pretty badly when we left them in the forest," she broke the silence first, looking out into the darkening depths of the forest. She was curious about what Len had been doing the past two days, but there were more pressing issues at hand right now and she'd ask Len what he had been up to when they were out of the forest.

"They should be getting tired by now. Gumo and Nero are almost evenly matched when it comes to fighting, though of course Nero has just the slightest edge over Gumo. Though what Gumo may lack in skill, he makes up for in brute strength," Len observed. "It shouldn't be too hard to pry them apart. Besides, they listen to me, even when in their animal forms…" he met her gaze, pursing his lips. "What Piko described just now wasn't how I wanted you to find out about their…other halves," he continued, now sounding subdued. Miku didn't know what she was supposed to say in response.

"I guess I would have found out eventually?" she hedged. Len shrugged, but didn't add anything else to that, so she guessed he agreed with her statement. "Come to think of it, it wasn't really that huge a surprise. I mean, sure, I definitely was pretty shocked when Gumo suddenly turned into a bear, but I think part of me always kind of… _felt_ like they were more than just human. I mean, all of them had really animal-like traits, especially Rei. Though I don't really know what Piko turns into. He won't tell me," she scratched her head. Then she thought of something. "Len, do you…transform as well?"

"Me? No. I can fly, and that's more than enough," he started walking the way they came, and Miku stumbled after him, trying not to trip over any exposed tree roots. She had been in Neverland for some time already, but while she was definitely becoming more familiar with the forested terrain, she still was prone to falling over when she walked around in the dark. It wasn't easy to look out for things, even with the ability to see despite very little light. "I would have told you eventually about the Lost Boys being able to transform into animals, but…I didn't think the time was right yet."

"And how long would you have waited before telling me then?" she asked, squinting at his back. Len paused for the briefest of moments, but then continued walking on, not looking back at her.

"I would have waited until I felt like the time was right," he shrugged. "You can't ask me exactly when that would have been. I don't know either," there was silence between them for a while as the two of them continued trekking through the forest, neither one of them having anything to say to the other. Miku was beginning to get tired from all this activity – she had been hunting for food all night, and she hadn't gotten much rest while outside with Gumo. She wondered idly about the prey they had caught and left behind in the forest, and thought that it was actually quite a waste of food – no doubt some other predator must have stolen the abandoned meat by now.

After some time, she found they were back where they had left Nero and Gumo. Suddenly, looking at the narrow path towards the clearing which she had walked down just earlier, she was reminded of the fact that Rei had been there before any of them. What was he doing initially in that clearing, and why did the Boys meeting there result in them talking about Gumo's mother? The forest was eerily quiet, the roars and growls from earlier now gone. Len glanced back at her and she stepped slightly closer, not entirely comfortable with being alone in the darkness. She could sense the night falling around them, much like how a burial shroud would fall over the face of a dead man. It felt almost…suffocating.

"Seems like they've stopped fighting, but I don't know where they might have gone after that," Len remarked. Miku nodded, glancing at the place where she had left their food – the meat seemed to be gone, though she had to admit that wasn't much of a surprise. "I'll go scout ahead…" his voice trailed off and he stared at her, as though he had suddenly thought of something. She frowned.

"What?" she asked, when he looked her up and down, tapping a finger against his chin. She felt an intense urge to fidget. But Len just shook his head and sighed, extending his hand out towards her. She almost jumped in surprise at the sight of that outstretched hand – was he inviting her to take it?

"I don't want to leave you alone in the forest and let the will-o'-the-wisps attack you," he stated bluntly. "You've been in that situation once before so let's not tempt fate. Follow me, and if Nero and Gumo do happen to still be fighting in some remote corner of the forest…" he exhaled audibly, shoulders slumping for a quick second. Suddenly, Len looked drained. "I'll make sure they won't hurt you. Now let's go," he waited for her to take his hand, and hesitantly she reached out towards him.

Len's hand was warm, and she could feel the callouses on his palm that came from surviving in the forest and all the physical hardship that went along with living in somewhere so hostile. It suddenly dawned on her just _how_ amazing Len was – how he was able to look after his Lost Children for so long while juggling the difficult work the dark masters forced him to carry out, all without losing his sanity or his will to survive. It had to be particularly difficult for Len, the one person who was capable of going back to Earth whenever he wanted, yet unable to stay there for reasons he never revealed to her.

"Why didn't you ever just fly back to Earth and stay there, since you can?" she asked, realising that she had never thought to ask him such a question. Len looked down at her impassively, and she wasn't sure if he would even answer her or not. She'd try her luck, nevertheless. "I mean, even before the Lost Boys came…you could have flown back right, since you were the first? So why didn't you?"

He kept quiet for a while, as though thinking over her words. She peered up at him, studying his features – he looked so grim. He was youthful, no one would look at him and think he was anything older than his early twenties, but there was a hardness to his gaze that spoke of experience well beyond his age. "Earth doesn't treat me kindly," he finally answered. "It's as though it can tell that I'm an outsider. I don't really…feel good, when I'm back there. But I don't know if I truly am ill or if it's just a psychological thing," his grip on her hand tightened. "If I could leave, I would have, or at least I would have back then. But then Rei came, and the rest of the Lost Boys, then you…I can't just leave you all, can I?"

He sounded resigned. She didn't know how to feel about that – on one hand, she was grateful that he felt such a sense of responsibility towards them, but on the other hand the way he said it made them all sound like…well, a burden. Like they really were all children, and he was the single father painstakingly raising them, suffering and sacrificing so that they would turn out well and safe.

"Thank you," was all she was able to come up with, and Len just smiled – no, it wasn't really a smile, more of a brief tilt of his lips – and nodded before he set off, pulling her along with him. She felt just a little bit better about walking through the darkness – his hand and his warmth were comforting guides that led the way without her actually needing to see – and she could finally relax, almost falling into a trance of sorts. Being around Len made her feel secure, which was the first time she felt that way around _any_ male since she was sixteen. If only they had not met under these circumstances…

Len suddenly stopped, and she almost walked right into him. His grip on her was still firm, and he raised a single finger to his lips, warning her to keep quiet. She nodded, and he gestured with his free hand towards their right – Miku strained her ears, wondering if she would be able to hear anything, and was rather surprised to pick up just the faintest of rustles. She could also hear – no, hear wasn't the right word to use – she could _sense_ the slight vibration of the air, detect the quietest of growls. Nero and Gumo hadn't wandered very far, then. She gazed back at Len, wide-eyed.

He suddenly let go of her hand and darted forward, in the direction of those soft sounds. She was unsure if she was meant to follow or not, but Len glanced back and shook his head before he dove deeper into the undergrowth, clearly following the sounds. She hesitated – why would he make her accompany him all the way here, just to leave her alone at such a crucial moment? She hoped the will-o'-the-wisps wouldn't show up again…surely no one would have luck _that_ terrible, right?

She looked back towards Len and saw that he was already gone, probably somewhere deep into the forest beyond. She didn't think she wanted to follow since she couldn't even see him anymore, so she just hoped that nothing nasty would pop out at her while she was waiting for him to return. She felt nervous though. It was getting dark, meaning the will-o'-the-wisps would no doubt be active soon, and this situation was just far too reminiscent of what happened earlier today. The Lost Boys had all left her behind, each one warning her not to follow them, and in the end Nero and Gumo argued and got into a physical fight with each other. Would something horrible happen to Len as well?

Something cold touched her neck and she jumped, almost letting out a small shriek. She turned, heart thudding in her chest, and saw that it was nothing but a leaf, swaying in the evening breeze. She placed a hand over her chest, trying to slow her racing heart, scolding herself for being so easily startled – though of course the thoughts that ran through her mind didn't make her any less afraid. The sounds of wildlife were still present all around her, which was definitely a good sign, and she thought that if the crickets suddenly stopped chirping she would just get the hell out of there.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long before Len reappeared. Much to her relief, she saw the familiar head of blond hair resurface from the undergrowth, followed by two other boys – Nero and Gumo, who were both back in their human forms and thankfully clothed, though both of them seemed extremely reluctant to acknowledge the other – and surprisingly, there appeared to be a _fourth_ person following them. Miku couldn't really see who it was since they were hiding behind Gumo, but she could make out a dark shape and wondered if the person was a friend or foe.

Len's expression was grim. He was pushing branches and leaves out of his way, and he relaxed a little bit when he saw her. "I'm glad that you didn't wander off again," he shook his head, and she wasn't sure if he was serious or if he was just teasing her. Hopefully the latter. She wasn't _that_ troublesome to deal with…was she? "Anyway, it seems like someone in Neverland is interested in talking to you, Miku. Enough to travel all the way to our territory and interrupt Nero and Gumo's quarrel," Len glanced back at the fourth person. Miku frowned.

Nero shoved the person hiding behind him and Gumo, and she heard a yelp of annoyance – her heart sank as she recognised the vaguely familiar voice. A slight boy with blond hair and an eye that looked eerily like Rei's peeked out from behind the others, a grin spreading over his face as he saw her. "I hope you remember me, Miku," Oliver sang. "I did tell you that we'd meet again, right?"

Miku didn't know what to say. She was shocked that Len had even brought Oliver to her at all – he _knew_ what had happened on the pirate ship, so why did he allow Oliver to come so far into their territory? She realised that she was trembling. Gumo stared at her, the previous discontentment on his face becoming something more like concern, but she didn't know what to say or how to react. Her mouth continued to hang open in surprise, and she was suddenly reminded of the way Oliver bit her right before she and Len fled the pirate ship. Instinctively, she backed away, shuddering at the memory.

Oliver's good eye practically glowed in the darkness. "Why, is someone afraid of poor little Oliver?" he crooned, taking a step forward to counter her retreat – but then Len thankfully held an arm out, preventing the pirate from getting any closer to her. Miku did not fail to see the flash of hostility that went across Oliver's face, but his expression smoothened out just as quickly and he was back to his smiling self. "I'm just a gambler and a poor little pirate, you know. Perfectly harmless old Oliver."

She would have spoken up to refute that claim if she could force her tongue to move. The memory of the cold blade against her neck was almost overpowering. "What do you want, Oliver?" Len sighed, clearly tired of playing games with the pirate. Oliver thankfully turned his attention away from her, focusing instead on the leader of the Lost Children. Would he notice if she ran away from this place now? "You said that you wanted to see Miku, otherwise you won't tell us anything. And now, you've seen her."

Oliver's smile thinned. "Just seeing her isn't enough. What I want to say is exceptionally important – I know things, you see. I know a lot more than you think I do. I need to talk to her…" he glanced at her, his smile becoming secretive. The three other boys glared at him, but he ignored them. "And I need to talk to her alone," he added, stepping out towards her again. This time, Len did not stop him, and Oliver walked right up to her. He reached out to touch her lips with his fingers – Miku flinched back instinctively, but he grabbed her chin and held her face in place. Len started forward, but Oliver shook his head slowly, almost fascinated. "Miku, you and I are going to become extremely good friends," he promised, stroking his thumb gently against her bottom lip.

Miku yanked her head away, her heart racing. She didn't need to see the dark gleam in Oliver's golden eye to know that friendship was the last thing the pirate had on his mind.


	34. Chapter 34

"You know our old captain was Hook's father, don't you?" Oliver was balancing himself on a thick, exposed root, the rough bark of the tree apparently perfectly comfortable for his bare feet. Miku couldn't stop looking at his feet and calves, which were all wrapped up with white bandages.

She wasn't sure if he was really injured or if his bandages were just for appearance. The pirate didn't seem to be in any sort of pain. Len nodded cautiously – he was the only one Oliver allowed to stay while he talked to her. Nero and Gumo had been sent back to the den, with Len ordering them to sort out their differences in a civilised, rational way. Miku feared that they would lose their tempers and start fighting again – neither Lost Boy appeared to be in a great mood when they went back.

"Well, you also know that we pirates embrace polygamy, yes?" Oliver continued, spinning his white cap around his fingers. His hair was feathery golden, light and slightly wavy – Miku thought of those old Victorian paintings of angelic cherubs with their light blond hair and felt that Oliver would look greatly like one of those beautiful cherubs if he wasn't so…strange. Again, Len nodded, and Miku turned the concept of polygamy over and over in her head – back home, where she came from, polygamy was strictly frowned upon. She couldn't even begin to imagine a polygamous lifestyle.

To have multiple partners, multiple children with different people, and everyone else knowing about that as well? Back home, that'd be considered cheating…she idly wondered if the Red Indians were like the pirates as well. Oliver's lips curved up into a smirk. "Then we need to take a little trip down memory lane together, you and I," he hopped down from the tree root, landing gracefully on the dark forest ground. "We need to take a look at our captain's past – how much do _you_ know about Captain Hook, Peter Pan? The one who is supposed to know everything about our dear island…"

Oliver's golden eye gleamed with secrets and hidden knowledge, and there was a clear challenge on his face as he looked from Len to Miku, waiting for them to respond. Miku failed to see how this was relevant to anything at all – it almost felt like the pirate was just out to waste their time. But when she tried to catch Len's eye, she saw that he was staring intently at the pirate, as though he could somehow understand what mysterious, coded message Oliver was trying to tell them. "All right, we can take that trip together," he spoke evenly, answering for both Miku and himself. Oliver grinned.

"It starts off many years ago, of course," Oliver spun around, heading off through the forest. Len followed suit, though Miku lingered a little distance behind the two boys, still very suspicious of the pirate and wondering why her leader seemed so willing to play along with him. "Let's go back in time to when our captain's father was born – a nasty old man, he was! I barely remember him," Oliver tapped a finger against his lips, looking thoughtful. "But what I do remember isn't very pleasant…"

"Could you get to the point?" Len asked, though his tone was calm and patient, which seemed at odds with what he said. Oliver turned slightly, giving them an unnerving smile, and Miku shivered, hurrying a little closer to Len for comfort. She had no idea where the pirate was leading them, and she'd stick as close to her leader as possible.

"Fine, since you asked so nicely," he shrugged. "So, you already know that among the pirates there is no such thing as _official_ relationships or families or whatever – everyone just kind of does their own thing. For example, I have about four half-siblings…maybe more, I don't know really. And almost the entire pirate crew is related to each other somehow," Oliver stretched, placing his white cap back where it belonged. He continued walking forward with his arms behind his head. "The captain is the sole exception to that."

"What do you mean by exception? I thought the captain has the right to sleep around with anyone he wants. That's why he's the captain, right?" this conversation was, Miku grudgingly admitted, rather interesting. Of course, she'd much prefer if they weren't talking to Oliver, of all people, but she was finding out something new about Neverland and its people so she didn't want to complain too much.

"Definitely, he has all right to do whatever the hell he wants!" Oliver agreed easily, ducking through a narrow gap between two tall, leafy ferns. Len hesitated for a quick second before he followed, and Miku suppressed a groan, bending down to go through the small opening as well. She bet Oliver was leading them towards some kind of trap or something, but what he was saying might be important. "But while he can have as many illegitimate offspring as he wants, the captain is the _only_ one who must take on a formal wife, whose child will become the next captain of the ship. So our previous captain's son is our captain now, and his wife was Hook's mother…who died when he was very young."

"Aoki Lapis?" Len asked. The way he said the name made Miku pause. It was a new name, not one she had ever heard before, but the way Len said it made it sound like he knew this person very well. Which was very strange, because if this Lapis person was Hook's mother, and she died some time ago, then how did Len know her? Hook looked like he was older than Len. And Len had only been here since he was ten years old, right? Unless he met Aoki Lapis when he first arrived in Neverland? Or maybe she was just thinking too much about the whole thing. She focused her attention back on Len and Oliver's conversation.

"Yes, Lapis," Oliver tutted. "A sweet, lovely young lady. Died in her prime – quite a tragedy, you know. Our captain has never stopped blaming himself for her death," Oliver suddenly stopped along the forest trail, turning back to study them with his uncovered eye. The molten gold was, for once, remarkably serious. "Though what he fails to understand is that what happened back then was something far beyond his control. After all, what can one man do against the ocean and its fury?"

The young pirate sounded wistful, almost. It made Miku think that perhaps, Oliver wasn't quite as deranged as he portrayed himself to be. In this very instant, the blond haired boy seemed almost normal. "What happened? I never knew how she died. In fact, I don't think anyone besides the pirates themselves knew of her death until a month later, during the Hunt," Len frowned, looking like he was trying to recall something. This tale was certainly fascinating, but how was it relevant to their situation?

"Oh, nothing much. Hook has one half-sibling…just one, really shocking I know, but his father wasn't the kind of person who slept around very often. The old captain only had kids for the sake of a heir. He was much more interested in sailing us out of Neverland," Oliver shrugged his thin shoulders. "Hook got into a pretty nasty argument with that particular sibling and the kid pushed Lapis over the side of the ship in revenge. It was supposed to be just a scare, a stupid prank. But Lapis got…taken."

"Taken?" Miku echoed, the first time she spoke aloud ever since Len and Oliver began talking. Two pairs of eyes cut towards her, Len's filled with surprise, Oliver's golden eye knowing, almost pleased. She realised belatedly that she actually said the word out loud, and she ducked her gaze, trying not to attract Oliver's attention again. She could still remember the feeling of his cold blade against her neck.

"Yes, taken," the pirate continued easily from where he left off. "The seas are filled with all kinds of dangers. The giant squid, the crocodiles, the kraken – they all take up space in the vast, dangerous waters, but those are threats we know how to deal with. Then on the other hand, there are the sea women who appear at will and take what they wish before they vanish into the depths with the things your heart holds most precious, never to see them again. The sirens, as you may have found out," Oliver spoke those words so casually, but Miku saw Len stiffen at the mention of the sirens.

What were sirens? She thought that the mermaids were sirens, but from Oliver's description it didn't sound like the same being. Was there a different kind of water woman out in the sea? She suddenly remembered the blonde woman they saw in the pirates' territory, the other time they were passing through, and wondered if _that_ woman was possibly one of those sirens Oliver was talking about.

A sea woman who could walk on dry land… "Oh, so you know what the sirens are," apparently Miku was not the only one who noticed Len's reaction. "Well, then you should know they are malicious, that they live only to toy with the feelings and desires of human beings. There is only one creature they listen to – the great sea hydra, who none of the pirates believe is real, by the way. Living out in the open sea, we were told legends and stories while growing up, but we always thought the hydra was just that – a story. Until recently, since there have been several disturbances that made us think…otherwise."

"Disturbances," Len repeated, his tone flat. Miku glanced at his face and saw that his blue eyes were dark with mysterious thoughts. She wondered what he was thinking about – she could practically see the gears in his mind shifting. Though of course, Miku still couldn't see where this entire exchange was going, she was confident in assuming that all this was somehow relevant to Len. "What disturbances?"

"Just the usual," Oliver shrugged, reaching out to a berry growing on a nearby plant and plucking the small fruit. He studied it carefully, the fruit staining his fair skin dark blue, before he crushed the berry between his fingers, the juices spurting out and dribbling across his hands. The twisted smile on Oliver's face as he squashed the berry did not reassure Miku in the slightest. "You know, shaking and screaming and disappearing people and stuff like that. Oh, and the sirens keep singing at night now. it's getting kind of bothersome, having to restrain the crew so they don't jump off the ship."

"The pirates looked fine just the other day, when we were there. It was only a few days ago," Len sounded suspicious. The frown on his face had deepened. "You're telling me that within the short span of a few days, so much has changed about the sea?" Miku wouldn't doubt him for being so cautious. If it was her, she'd be wary of Oliver too. Who knew what kind of agenda this pirate had?

Oliver shrugged again. "Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying. Whether or not you believe me is up to you," he yawned, covering his mouth with his dark, juice-stained hand. Miku couldn't help but stare at the berry juices, which were practically black in comparison to his pale skin. She was suddenly reminded of the dark shadows which haunted her so regularly, and which had appeared to her for the first time in a long while, shortly after leaving the pirate ship – she shivered, averting her gaze.

"Fine, assuming that you're telling the truth. Then why are you saying all this to Miku and I? I don't think Hook sent you here to tell the enemy about your current state of weakness," Len retorted. "And how come _you_ don't seem to be affected by the sirens' singing? You don't even seem to be any different from your usual self," Len observed, his words dripping with suspicion. Oliver grinned.

"You could call it a desperate plea for help. Not so much on Hook's side – as you have surmised, our glorious captain would never ask for help from another ethnic group, not even if his entire crew is endangered as a result of his pride," Oliver said all this with no hint of sarcasm. It made her curious about how the pirate truly viewed his captain. "And as you noticed, yes, I am not affected by the sirens' singing. It's for a simple reason, really – but I'm afraid I can't tell you yet," he smiled. That smile was small but very, very creepy. It was a smile that showed how determined he was to…well, she had no idea what Oliver was determined to do, but she wouldn't trust the pirate for anything.

Len, thankfully, seemed to be equally doubtful. "Yes, thank you for verifying my suspicions, but what does all that lead up to?" he folded his arms across his chest, tapping his foot against the forest ground. It was midday by now, and the weak sunlight filtered through the trees, barely illuminating their dim surroundings. Oliver happened to be standing in an area with less dense foliage, so he seemed to be almost glowing compared to the rest of the murky forest. It made her uncomfortable.

"I just want to have a good night's sleep," Oliver groused. "You have no idea how difficult it is to get some rest when half of the crew is trying to fling themselves off the ship and swim towards those goddamn sirens. Earplugs work, but some people are so curious about hearing the sirens singing that they don't put them on in time, and…well, myth tells us what happens when one hears the songs of the sirens," Oliver sighed exaggeratedly. "And of course, I know that for you to step in with my little problem, you'd want something in exchange. Unfortunately for you, I'm not unintelligent. And I do have quite an excellent bargaining chip, if I must say so myself," his golden eye gleamed. Len and Miku exchanged a look, wondering what the pirate could possibly have that they would want.

"There isn't much the Lost Boys could want from you, unless you're capable of fighting off an entire pack of angry, fire-breathing wolves," Len raised an eyebrow, staring down at Oliver. Of course, there was more he wanted – he had to locate the Keeper of the Hearts, who knew where the sirens hid their ever-beating hearts, so that he could enlist the help of the water _kararehe_. But what were the odds that Oliver would know about something so secretive, so private? He was merely a pirate, the best gambler they had. If one took that away from him, he was nothing but a _boy_ , young and unknowing.

"No, I can't do that. You knew that even before you said it," Oliver answered serenely. "But what I do have is information. Hook has many maps…maps that lead to all kinds of places. Some of the crew say that he might already have found a way out of Neverland," the one-eyed pirate lowered his voice conspiratorially, a strange smile on his face. Miku twitched at the mention of a way out from this place, and she saw that Len seemed interested too – he was leaning towards the pirate now, his attention evidently arrested by that tantalising possibility. Miku realised just how badly Len must want to leave this accursed island, and the terrible duties he was forced to carry out for the dark masters.

"Surely not. If that was the case, wouldn't the pirates have left Neverland already?" Len questioned, though he sounded like he was talking to himself more so than to the pirate. Oliver tilted his head and spun back around, walking along the forest trail once more. Miku and Len resumed moving too, trying to keep up with the pirate who, strangely enough, seemed to know perfectly well where he was going. Did he explore their territory before? How else could he navigate so easily through this place?

"Oh, there are reasons why we choose to stay. Private reasons, really," Oliver responded breezily, looking straight ahead so that Miku couldn't see his face. "Keep in mind however, that those are just that – _rumours_. What is definite, on the other hand, is a certain map – a map that is of the utmost importance to those who would rid this island of the sirens. It is said that this map Hook owns leads you to the Keeper of the Hearts, who in turn knows where the sirens hide their greatest weakness."

Len stopped in his tracks, and Miku paused behind him, wondering why Oliver's words incited such a great reaction from her leader. Oliver stopped as well, like he knew, even without looking, what was going on behind him. "You see how the situation works now," the pirate continued, sounding smug. "Among the maps Hook has, one is capable of getting rid of the sirens entirely. Those sea women know, which is why they harass us every night, in a bid to get rid of this weapon our good captain possesses. Why they chose _now_ to act upon it when they've always had this knowledge, I don't know, so don't ask me. In return, you can obtain a map for anything else you might want. Unlike most of the other pirates, I have access to Hook's study, so this is a promise I can afford to keep."

Oliver sounded so sickly sweet that it would be stupid not to be wary of him. Miku was tempted to ask why he thought that was such an amazing bargain – from her point of view, going through all this danger just to find a _rumoured_ map which could take them out of Neverland sounded like they were getting the short end of the stick. But Len seemed to be giving this serious thought, which concerned her a bit. She hoped that Len wasn't about to agree to this deal. It was too much effort for too little reward – if even Miku could see that, then surely Len, who was so knowing and clever, could see it too?

"Very well," Len finally decided, much to her chagrin. She had been hoping that Len would be more reasonable and reject the offer. She'd have to pester him for information later – perhaps there was something Len knew and which she did not, that made him agree to Oliver's stupid trade. The young pirate spun around at his agreement, a wide grin on his face, and extended a hand out towards Len. After just a moment of hesitation, Len reached out and grasped the hand, giving it a firm shake.

"All right, then that's all I have to say to _you_ , Peter Pan," Oliver chirped, letting go of Len's hand at once, as though he had been burnt. "You can be on your merry way. Now, I want to talk about something with _Miku_ ," Oliver's golden eye cut towards her, and that wide grin he was wearing became something more like a smirk. Miku froze, heart suddenly accelerating at those sinister words, and she helplessly looked towards Len, silently pleading with him to get her out of this situation.

Len cleared his throat. "I don't see what you have to say to her which is so important that I cannot be present at the same time," he protested against Oliver's blasé dismissal of him, much to Miku's relief. She really didn't want to be left alone with the pirate. His cutlass against her skin, the kiss he had forced upon her…no, it definitely wasn't a good idea to be alone with Oliver for any period of time, no matter how short. Oliver rolled his golden eye, his gaze slanting over towards her again.

"Of course you won't understand why I want you to leave. You don't know the _special_ bond we have, Miku and I. I suppose you are simply jealous, Peter Pan, that I'm close to one of your Lost Children, but you must understand that children are meant to _grow up_ – and giving her some personal space and time to be with other people is simply part of the ageing process," Oliver explained, tone light and airy. Len's blue eyes narrowed as he prepared some scathing retort. Miku really did not like where this was going, and briefly considered slipping away while both boys were distracted.

"The last I noticed, we didn't exactly have any kind of special bond, Oliver," Miku decided to speak up instead of running away, since frankly, it'd be pretty obvious if she chose to leave now. Both boys turned to stare at her, Len with a raised eyebrow, and Oliver with a look of outright glee.

"That's why it's special, Miku! Because you didn't notice it forming," he cooed, and that sickly sweet voice – it was so obviously _fake_ – made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The bad feeling in her gut intensified, and she somehow knew that if she spent any time alone with Oliver at all, things would not end up well. She trusted her intuition, and right now her intuition was screaming at her to get the hell out of there. Oliver didn't seem to be armed with any weapon, but it was equally likely that he did have one and was just hiding it in that long coat of his…or maybe he had something even worse for her in mind. Len seemed to pick up on her discomfort, for he stepped in between Oliver and Miku so that the blond pirate wouldn't be able to see her, at least not without craning his neck.

"I'm the leader of the Lost Children, and as the leader it is my responsibility to be there for them and look after them, no matter the circumstances," Len stated firmly. "So whatever it is you want to talk to her about, I should be there to listen as well, unless there are particular reasons for otherwise…?"

She heard a quiet growl sound from behind Len, and realised it was the pirate, hissing to himself in frustration. Miku was suddenly extremely thankful that Len insisted on accompanying her. If she was alone with the deranged pirate, who knew what he would do? "Fine, since you _insist_ , Peter Pan," Oliver spoke scathingly. "I simply wish to collect on my…debt, as you might put it. I know you believe that she did not cheat, but I know what I saw. We both do," the forest went very quiet as the pirate paused for a moment. Miku abruptly realised that the sound of wildlife was gone – the trees were eerily silent.

That was never a good sign. "I _didn't_ cheat – how would I know how to cheat when I've never played that game before?" she protested, defending herself. Her heart was thudding in her chest. Would Len trust her, or the pirate? She had never gotten caught while gambling before. Oliver…he had to be extremely sharp-eyed to see what she was doing. But then, no one ever looked at Hatsune Miku and thought that the crazy, frail girl who hid in her own room and was frightened of her own shadow would know how to cheat at such games. She hated to use the word cheat, though. Miku would rather call it…alternative strategizing. She was making use of what resources she had to better her chances of victory.

"Again, you claim you've never played dice before, but you didn't even need to know the rules before we played the first round," Oliver's voice had deepened, becoming almost threatening. It was such a far cry from the happy, almost insane cheeriness in his words earlier – this was what Miku thought was the _real_ Oliver, the one who plotted and schemed behind a mask of youth and innocence. He was such an angelic looking boy – who would imagine that his mind was so twisted?

"Luck! Sheer luck!" she cried out, subtly trying to edge away from the pirate. Len was still in between them, looking between both her and Oliver with careful consideration on his face, and Miku felt confident that her leader would take her word over Oliver's, but she'd rather get out of this dark forest and away from the dangerous pirate as quickly as possible. She hardly ever played card games or dice, but she had learnt a few tricks during her youth, and she never passed up an opportunity to put what she learnt to good use. Although those three years she spent alone had made her rusty.

"There is no such thing as luck," Oliver's voice echoed through the forest, and it sounded a little nearer to her than the previous time he spoke. She shuddered, but Len was still standing calmly between them, and she trusted that he wouldn't allow any harm to befall her. "Luck is nothing but empty hope, a false idea whispered to trusting fools who pray for divine deliverance from their personal hells. When you live this long, you know that clinging on to luck and good fortune is a slow death wish in itself," Oliver's voice suddenly snaked into her ear, and she whipped around, feeling sick.

The pirate was standing right next to her now, studying her intently with his good eye. He looked very serious, sombre even, and she looked wildly around at Len – Len was still standing in front of her, but he was silent and unmoving, as though frozen in time. She tried to call out to him, but Oliver flung out his hand and clamped it over her mouth, preventing her from saying a single word. She tried to speak, but the words which came out were muffled and incomprehensible; she herself couldn't understand what she was saying. "Now we can have a good, proper conversation."

She tried to respond, but again her words came out garbled and confused. Oliver seemed to know what she was trying to say, however. "How is all this happening? Let's just say that there are many forces at work here, Miku – forces that even the omniscient leader of the Lost Children is not aware of. And when you know as much as I do – when you've been _involved_ in as much as I was – you tend to know what these mysterious forces are. The _kararehe_ are just one of the many secrets Neverland has to offer," he tilted his head, studying her, then he grinned. "How about we make a deal, Miku?"

She tried to glare at him, hoping that her green eyes were filled only with anger and none of the fear that she now felt. Len was not able to help her – she had to figure a way out of her situation herself. None of the Lost Boys would come for her either, she was certain, so she thought that maybe the best thing to do for now was to play along with whatever Oliver wanted. So finally, she grudgingly averted her gaze and waited for him to continue. The pirate laughed. "It's really simple. I think it'll be much easier _and_ much more comfortable for you if I were to take my hand off your mouth, but the thing is if you scream, it's really bloody irritating. It's not going to change whatever's happening now but it'll give me a hell of a migraine, so I'd really rather you just keep quiet. Could you do that for me?"

She nodded slowly. She could keep quiet. Miku had every reason to believe that Oliver might kill her if she didn't do as he wanted. The pirate slowly took his hand off her mouth, and she took in a deep breath of air, grateful that her face was finally free. "What do you want?" she hissed, taking a step away from him. He was too close to her for her comfort. "This isn't about the gambling thing anymore, is it?"

Oliver gave her a long, measured look with his golden eye. "Don't be stupid. I could hardly care less about that," he looked up at the sky, a serene expression on his face. Meanwhile, the forest around them remained quiet and still – she and the pirate were the only two still moving in this fixed world. She really had to wonder what was going on around them. "I know you're different, Hatsune Miku. And it's not just because you're the only Lost Girl, though I suppose that's one way you're not like the rest of them. No, I could tell…the moment I kissed you I knew that you're different from the others."

She narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was getting at. But she didn't interrupt, waiting for him to finish speaking before she said anything. She was utterly sure that whatever Oliver was about to say would be unbelievable and completely ludicrous, but she would at least pretend to entertain him so that she wouldn't get hurt…hopefully not, at least. "You know why I'm such a good gambler?" the pirate continued pensively, as though he was talking to himself rather than to her. "I have this very strange power. I've never told anyone about it before, you know, but I'm telling you now. When I touch something or someone, I can see memories and sense… _things_. When I touch a card, I know what card it is without even having to look at it. Same applies to dice, to objects, to people, to lips…"

His golden eye fixed upon her face, and automatically, her hand reached up to cover her mouth. He had kissed her. If he was telling the truth, then…what sort of memories, what feelings had he felt during that brief contact? Did he feel the horror, the shock, the pain and revulsion? Did he delve into her deepest, darkest memories and uncover that most vulnerable part of herself? She shivered, her mind becoming momentarily overwhelmed by all these possibilities, but then Oliver snapped his fingers in front of her face and startled her back into lucidness. "What did you see?" she whispered.

"Things," the pirate shrugged. "Things about you that no one else should have had to see. Trust me, it's not like I wanted to jump around your thoughts either," a strange expression crossed his face, but it was gone so quickly that she wasn't able to identify what expression it was. "But your mind, what I saw inside it…I saw these dark, whispering shadows which seemed to _stain_ your thoughts, covering your every dream, your every memory, your every desire and hope in a dark velvety blanket. It's faint, but it's there, and it's dangerous. And most of all, it's very, very familiar to me."

Miku was becoming intrigued. Shadows? Did Oliver see…those dark beings which tortured her at night, which were such a constant fixture in her life ever since she was a child? The dark shadows which worsened, becoming almost threatening, after her father died and no one was there to sing her special lullaby to her anymore. Only Len knew the lullaby, she now recalled that, but she had gotten so caught up in Neverland's affairs that she forgot to ask him how he knew it. "What do you mean by shadows?" she finally asked when the pirate failed to continue of his own accord.

Oliver's hand had reached up to his face, his slender fingers wandering up to his eyepatch. Miku suddenly found herself wondering what lay beneath that eyepatch. What had happened to his other eye? Was he born half-blind, or had there been some kind of accident which took his eyesight away? "Darkness. Thoughts and sentient beings, determined to take you and use you as an escape," his cryptic words were hardly an answer, but she still clung on to everything he said, wondering if she was finally getting _some_ kind of explanation for the horrible shadow beings which had been plaguing her for most of her life. "It's hard, living with those things. I might respect you somewhat for that."

"How would you know…?" Miku's voice trailed off as Oliver lifted his eyepatch, showing her his other eye. While his good eye was molten gold, his left eye, the one normally covered by the eyepatch, was completely black. There was no white at all – the entire eye was just one solid mass of darkness, and within it she could see…swirling beings, almost reaching out to her from within those inky depths. She stared, mesmerised by the pure, raw _darkness_ , until Oliver put the patch back on.

"You're lucky. Your shadows don't leave a physical mark on you," Oliver remarked casually, as though he was talking about something as unimportant as the weather. But Miku found herself hanging on to his every word. "Mine did, though. Why they would leave a mark, especially within my left eye, I don't know, so don't ask me. I can't really see out of that eye anyway. It's just…darkness."

"So you live with the shadows too…" her voice was barely more than a whisper. She was so shocked; it was the first time she had ever met anyone living with a condition similar to hers. Oliver's smile was thin, and he inclined his head, golden eye regarding her lazily. She had so many questions to ask, but she didn't even know where to begin. "How long have you lived with them? What _are_ they?"

"Years," Oliver shrugged, walking away from her back towards Len. Miku watched carefully as the pirate circled Len, studying him from all sides. Peter Pan still had not moved. "Ever since I was a little kid, really. The other pirates always kind of thought I was strange. As I grew older I learned how to hide it because I was tired of being ostracised. And I learnt how to keep the screams and nightmares to myself," he stopped right in front of Len, looking critically into his eyes. Miku saw that Len still gazed blankly ahead, completely unaware of what was going on around him. "What I saw from your memories wasn't much. We didn't touch long enough for me to see, but…I know that in your case, you didn't do the same thing. You never quite learnt how to live with them, how to embrace them."

"Why would I want to _embrace_ them?" she exclaimed, incensed by the very thought. Those shadow beings had tormented her, almost tortured her, for her entire life. Welcoming them was the last thing she would ever want to do. "You probably saw what they did to me. They made my life a living hell! And just when I thought I escaped them, they found me all the way here too…" she quietened.

Oliver had walked back towards her now, and he was staring down at her impassively, listening to her every word. She felt immensely self-conscious, especially now that she knew what lay underneath his eyepatch, and her tongue refused to move as she gaped at him, nervous about their close proximity. "Of course they found you here as well, Miku. The shadows _originate_ from Neverland. You know of the dark masters that Peter Pan serves," Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Before you ask me how I know of them as well, I just do, so stay quiet," he added before she could interject. "Those are simply older forms of our shadowy companions who have gained consciousness and minds of their own. What we are plagued by are _young_ tendrils of thought, barely-formed knowledge and secrets…perhaps you could call the dark masters human thought, and what we are faced with animal instinct. Ultimately, they are one and the same thing. The dark masters control Neverland – control the shadows that haunt us," Oliver closed one hand into a fist, "and you are eventually able to control Neverland."

"Is that how you managed to make time freeze?" she asked, intrigued despite herself. She never thought of her tormentors as possibly being something which could assist her. All her life she had tried to push them away, thinking that they only served to make her existence miserable. Yet what Oliver was suggesting now was that they could actually be of some use. With them, she could _change_ …

"Perhaps. That information is mine to know, and yours to discover," Oliver turned away from her, his ragged blue coat fluttering. "I've had much experience dealing with these beings. I know what they are, what they want, how to control them. I know what they need, you see," she thought he might be smiling. "But that is something you ought to figure out on your own. If I tell you everything, you probably won't be able to deal with them anyway," he shrugged. "I hope that you now know that you're not alone, Hatsune Miku. But don't let that fool you into thinking we're allies of some sort. I still have my own agenda, and I'm only here to level the playing field a little. It's much more satisfying to crush an opponent when they aren't entirely useless," he laughed. Miku frowned.

"What do you mean by useless?" she shot back. "I'm not _useless_ – yeah sure, I'm not exactly the best hunter or fighter but I'm learning!" she knew that she was becoming better at surviving out here, and she wouldn't allow Oliver's disparaging words to tear her down. The pirate spun around to stare at her, and there was no smile on his face. She shivered. Oliver's expression…he looked almost _hungry_.

"I didn't mean you, Hatsune. But if you choose to take it that way…" he bared his teeth, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Learn how to control the shadows. Don't let them consume you, and you will eventually understand. Meanwhile, I ought to take my leave. I've overstayed my welcome in this territory," his gaze drifted up towards the sky again, which was right now exactly the same as the last time Miku looked at it. Even the clouds had yet to move. "But there is no need to fret. This is hardly the last you have seen of good old Oliver…though you should keep in mind that the next time you see me, I won't be as nice to you," his words were a dark promise. Before she could say anything or ask him anything else, Oliver snapped his fingers and time unfroze – everything turned into a blur of motion, and the next thing she knew Len was holding her, looking concerned, and Oliver had disappeared.

"Where did Oliver go?" Len demanded, letting go of her once she seemed capable of standing on her own two feet. Miku blinked, feeling a little woozy while the world went back into focus around her. She wasn't sure why but she felt like she had just run for miles and miles without rest, and she felt extremely dizzy. Maybe it was a side-effect of the whole time freezing thing. "Miku?" Len spoke her name when she didn't respond immediately, and she gazed into his eyes, so blue and so worried…

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said faintly, standing straight and shaking her head slightly. "And I don't know where he went. He just suddenly ran off, and I didn't want to follow him," she shuddered. It wasn't a lie, technically. Len paused, staring at her – he seemed almost unconvinced, but then in the end he nodded, turning away from her and staring out into the dense forest. Miku sighed quietly.

"It won't be a good idea to chase him now, since we don't know where he went or where he's headed. I suppose we ought to just head back to the den, in that case…" Len turned back towards her, expression thoughtful. "Come on, we both need some rest. You especially – the events of today must have been shocking for you. Hopefully Nero and Gumo didn't continue fighting in the den," he muttered, and Miku felt a small smile spread across her face. Things were back to normal, it seemed.

But Oliver's words lingered in her mind. Could those primal, terrifying shadows which whispered in her ear really be controlled? She never once imagined herself as the master of her own demons. But if that was the case – if those shadows really could be managed, the same way Oliver seemed to be using his, then perhaps these beings weren't really a curse after all. Maybe they could actually be of some use to her.


	35. Chapter 35

"Oliver! What were you _doing_?" he heard the familiar angry shriek and took a deep breath, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Or rather, his eye. He didn't really consider his other eye functional anymore. It wasn't like he couldn't see anything at all out of it, but…it certainly was a whole lot more than just an eye.

"Nothing," he answered truthfully, a sweet smile on his face. The girl scowled at him, or at least he figured she'd be scowling. She was always wearing that stupid hooded cloak. Which, in Oliver's opinion, was really unnecessary since Oliver already knew who she was and what she looked like. But of course she'd want to maintain an aura of mysteriousness and superiority. That was what she was like, after all – she wouldn't be her if she wasn't looking down her nose at everyone else.

"You're never doing nothing," she took a step closer to him, clearly about to launch into some tirade about how all his antics were going to mess up her grand plans. Oliver stretched, taking a few steps away from her to put some distance between them. He wasn't exactly in the mood to listen to her outbursts today. Then again, was he ever really in the mood to be lectured by her?

"Well, right now I am. As you may have noticed, right before you came storming in here with your raging hissy fit, I was just standing here peacefully minding my own business," he pointed out. Of course, he had been thinking over a few things, but she didn't need to know that.

She stopped and looked at him for a while. He could sense the cold blue eyes, which he knew were concealed underneath that hood, staring straight at him, trying to figure out what he was plotting. Oliver was the one person in Neverland she could not read, which annoyed her very much. He was aware of her personal grievances and made use of his knowledge with great pleasure. There was nothing else he would rather do than to infuriate her as much as he could.

"What's on your mind?" she finally asked, just like how he knew she would. He sighed, then turned away from her, staring deep into the trees beyond. The sirens would be walking through the forest now, preying on any man unfortunate enough to hear their singing. It was quite annoying when the sirens awakened. He could remember the last time that happened with vivid clarity.

It kind of sucked honestly, having a perfect memory. There were things he wished he could forget but they were all but branded into his mind, these incidents which served no purpose other than to remind him of all the different ways he was a failure. But these horrible, negative thoughts only surfaced on certain nights, when he felt… _some_ type of way. Today was not one of those days.

"Can't you just read it off my face?" he asked bluntly, perfectly aware that she could not sense his thoughts. The girl made a soft noise of disgust, which pleased him. He lived for the sole purpose of aggravating her. In the beginning he had only been there to assist her, since that was his only reason to live after all his failures, but then the more time he spent alone and away from her, the more he realised that he craved a life of his own, an independent existence. Her presence was like a chain, locking him to his past and preventing him from being truly free.

He hated that, but he couldn't hate her. In fact, he rather pitied her. For he knew that she was simply doing something she had been groomed from the very start to do. Wouldn't he be a hypocrite if he hated her for that? He was hardly any different, after all. "You know I can't. Could you stop trying to make my life so difficult?" she snapped, the leaves at her feet rustling as the wind picked up, influenced by her agitation. "I just want to get this whole thing over and done with!"

He squinted at her. "What makes you think I don't want the same thing?" he questioned. "Though of course, my idea of a favourable outcome may not be the same as yours," he added liltingly, testing the very limits of her patience. The leaves rustled, fluttering higher up into the air now. She was clearly becoming very unhappy, and Oliver wondered how much more he could push her.

"If you _don't_ tell me, Oliver, I can make your life very miserable," she growled. "And you know very well that this is no empty threat, so don't brush me off the way you push away most of your pirate friends. This is a serious matter, and if you don't treat it the way you should, we might start thinking about getting a _replacement_ ," she continued. Oliver stared at her. He knew that the threat was supposed to frighten him, but he didn't feel a thing. Actually…what would it be like, to simply disappear one day? Would anyone care about where he went? Would people look for him?

But he tired of taunting her. He would have given her the answers she wanted sooner or later anyway. Helping her was the only reason why he was still here in Neverland, living and breathing, capable of leading a semi-independent life. He loathed the idea of being tossed back into the muck – not when he knew what it was like to be free from the rest of them.

Did he, on some subconscious level, fail in his mission because he secretly longed to be free from his obligations? To tell the truth, that was one of the few questions that, even after all this time, he was still unable to find an answer for. He wished he knew. That might help explain how he was born, and why he didn't simply fade away when the time came. Oliver was such a conundrum to himself that he personally wished, at times, that he had never been born.

"I was thinking about her. The girl," he spoke slowly, tilting his head and staring down at the forest ground. He could hear the sound of her cloak swishing against the dead leaves. "Hatsune Miku. She is…different. All the Lost Boys are special, but even among them she is unique. What is it about her that repels _them_? It's not the same reason as the others. It reminded me of something…"

The girl was quiet as he spoke, and even when his voice trailed off into nothingness she remained still and silent. Sometimes, she could be so quiet that he would think that somehow, impossibly, she was dead. But then she would move and the illusion would shatter. He tapped his bare foot against the ground, wriggling his toes into the damp soil. He could feel young seeds through the earth, waiting to grow into the tall, menacing trees that made up Neverland's conscious forest.

That was why he wore so many bandages, actually. It was cumbersome to wear too many clothes on a pirate ship, but if he didn't protect and hide his bare skin somehow, it often led to sensory overload and the last thing he wanted was to have a mental breakdown in front of half the crew. He could still remember the way they regarded him with fear, suspicion, and even pity in his youth. He didn't want them to stare at him the same way again. So he always lied and said he was injured, and given how aggressive the pirates were no one ever questioned his supposed wounds.

"I know she's different," the girl finally answered. "We always knew – that's why I saved her from the will-o'-the-wisps. I wouldn't have bothered otherwise; neither you nor I are known for the goodness of our hearts," she pointed out. Oliver shrugged, knowing what she said to be true. "But this does not explain it. What makes you say that she is _different_ – tell me, what did you realise?"

Oliver hesitated. He didn't want to reveal that Hatsune Miku was very similar to him. He didn't see enough from her memories to understand the full situation, so he'd rather not go around sharing his suspicions. Besides, if it really was true and Miku turned out to be just like him, then that would lead to many implications that he'd prefer not to be involved in. No, he couldn't say a word.

"Just a feeling," he responded vaguely, waving his hand airily. He could feel her glaring at him from beneath her hood, but thankfully she didn't press the issue. Instead, she simply barked a short farewell and warned him that she would return soon, before she turned and disappeared into the trees, the forest swallowing up her slim figure. Then he was finally left alone.

Oliver yawned, the stress of dealing with her having tired him out. He deserved a good rest after everything he had been put through. Like it hadn't been enough hassle that time he had to play puppeteer and speak through the body of that dead Red Indian girl. He was pretty strong but he didn't have a limitless supply of energy. That episode had burnt him out for a good long while.

Maybe he should get back to the ship. Hook would probably be concerned since he had been gone for so long. Out of all the pirates, Hook was the only one who ever seemed to really keep an eye on him. Oliver smirked at the thought – well, it wasn't really all that surprising, given that Oliver had been the one who pushed Aoki Lapis off their ship and caused Shion Kaito to be motherless.

It was said that Lapis's death – or disappearance really, depending on how you looked at it – had affected the young boy profoundly, and even now his mother's shadow still lingered over him, an influence which reached out from beyond the grave. But who knew, really? Oliver didn't particularly care about the affairs of the pirates. He was just biding his time, waiting for everyone to wake up from their delusions. Once this game was over, everything would fade, and even he would disappear into nothingness.

* * *

Rei slipped back into the den in the middle of the afternoon, at the hottest part of the day, when he knew everyone else would definitely be asleep. He was right – as he entered the main cavern that led out to each room, he could feel the lethargy in the atmosphere and sense warmth emanating from every cave except his own. He let out a sigh of relief, thankful for small mercies.

The only reason why he was even back here now was because he knew how angry Len would be if he stayed outside during such a crucial period. He knew that with numbers came strength, a sentiment that their leader likely echoed as well, but unlike Rei, Len didn't have to struggle with his animal instincts. Len didn't know what it felt like to have to restrain himself from doing something he would regret.

Sometimes, Rei wondered whether life would be easier if he didn't have his animal half within him. But at the same time he knew that even if he could turn back time, he wouldn't change a single thing. He wouldn't have done anything differently, and he wouldn't have chosen not to accept his wolf into his consciousness. Without his wolf, without the animal half that he could retreat into whenever he felt threatened or unsafe, Rei would have lost his mind a long time ago.

Surely there was a reason why the wolf was so tempted, so enticed by Miku's scent. It didn't make any sense why it was only her when he had been living with four other human beings for a long time, and they had never once triggered his wolfish instincts, even before they accepted their spirit animals and were still human through and through. But the animal spirit provided no answers. It was spent and tired after its long run through the forest, and now it curled up contentedly in a corner of his mind, too drowsy to pay any attention to the faint traces of Miku's scent in the den.

Rei quietly walked through the main cavern towards his room, but as he went past Len's room, he was struck by the sudden urge to take a look inside. He decided there was no harm in peeking, since his spirit animal was sated for now, so he pushed aside the vines over the entrance that acted as a barrier and peered into the cave. He could see two dark figures, both breathing softly and peacefully, and guessed that the one on the bed was Miku. Len wouldn't let a girl sleep on the floor – he was too chivalrous for that, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.

Miku's torturously familiar scent wafted over to him and he wrinkled his nose, almost holding his breath in fear of his own possible reaction. But the inner wolf didn't react, and he let out a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't have to fight against his urges this time. Perhaps running through the forest tired the wolf enough that it didn't focus on anything else – but then, Rei couldn't possibly do the same thing every time he was near Miku. He'd exhaust the wolf, but he'd tire himself out too.

The figure on the bed shifted, catching his attention, and he watched as Miku turned over in her sleep, mumbling something as she moved. He pricked his ears, curious about what she was dreaming of, but her words were too slurred for him to pick up anything concrete. He decided to leave them be, and retreated from Len's cave, hoping to get some rest before he had to wake up in the evening. Speaking of rest, Rei was a little concerned about Len. He knew Len wasn't getting as much sleep as he should, which was actually pretty normal for their leader but nevertheless, not something that should become a habit. But he couldn't just tell Len to start sleeping more.

He didn't know much about Len's plans since he was so secretive, and he had this martyr complex where he basically had to sacrifice himself for the sake of his dependents. It also meant that Len wouldn't involve anyone else in his plans unless he absolutely needed the assistance. Admittedly Len probably couldn't die, since they healed so quickly and they were more or less immortal, but that didn't mean Rei was fine with their leader recklessly sticking his neck out for them all the time.

"Rei? You're back," he heard Gumo whisper his name, and he turned to see the youngest Lost Boy sticking his head out from his room, staring quizzically at him. So Len had managed to find Gumo and Nero after all. The two of them would probably still be fighting somewhere in the forest if Len didn't drag them back to the den – their leader was really the only person who could hope to calm them down when any Lost Boy reverted to their animal forms.

Rei inclined his head in acknowledgement, and Gumo watched him intently for a few seconds longer before he suddenly reached out a hand, beckoning him to come to his room. Rei blinked in surprise, wondering what Gumo wanted from him, but his gestures became more urgent and he decided to just go over before the boy had a coronary. He slipped quietly over to Gumo's room, and the boy swept the hanging vines aside, pressing himself against the rock wall so that Rei had space to step inside.

"Yeah?" Rei asked, turning around and regarding Gumo once the vines had fallen back into place, giving the two of them some privacy. Not that they really needed the privacy, since everyone else was asleep, but Nero did have very sensitive hearing and maybe Gumo didn't want him to listen in. It made Rei curious about what kind of conversation Gumo wanted to have – what could possibly warrant this level of secrecy?

"I was talking to Piko when I got back," Gumo went into whatever was on his mind immediately, neglecting any pleasantries. Not like they needed any vague conversation starters anyway. They had been living with each other for far too long for them to uphold good manners. "And we got to the topic of Len's plans…don't you think that we know far too little about the current situation?" Gumo's green eyes were filled with concern. "Piko said that he's afraid Miku won't be able to cope with the pressure. Apparently he heard her talking to herself the other day, after they returned from their trip to the Red Indian territory. He feels that Len shouldn't be involving Miku so much in all his plans since she's new and he doubts she can handle all this stress."

Rei blinked slowly, trying to take in what Gumo was saying. It didn't help that the boy was practically stumbling over his words in his haste to get them out, and when Gumo spoke too quickly his words tended to sound like a garbled mess. "That may be true, but what can any of us do about it?" he finally replied. "She herself volunteered to help him. And we all know that Len is far too self-sacrificial to pull any of us into his dilemmas, even if his problems _do_ involve us all. In fact, it's already pretty strange that he's allowing Miku to follow him at all…" he mused.

"I'm more worried about her than Len, really," Gumo admitted, looking slightly guilty as he said those words. "I mean, I know I ought to be concerned about Len's health since we all know he's been pushing himself way too hard lately, but then again it's hardly the first time we've gone through a crisis and Len has always pulled through. Miku is new though, and from what it sounds like she's already pretty…traumatised from her experiences. I don't want her to have a nervous breakdown or anything. If even Piko said something, it has to be pretty serious."

Now that was true. For the silver haired craftsman to show personal interest in anything at all generally meant that there was something major going on. After all, Piko only really cared about two things in his life – woodwork and women. And if he was serious while bringing up Miku, if he wasn't just thinking about how to flirt or sleep with her, then it was definitely a matter that all of them should at least consider. "So what, you want me to talk to Len about cutting her out of his plans? Or to substitute one of us in her place?" Rei asked, tipping his head to one side.

"Maybe," Gumo hesitated. "Actually yeah, that would be a great idea. I didn't really want to ask you to do anything, I just wanted your opinion since you've spent the most time with Len, and I thought that you might have some idea what he's thinking. I mean, I don't really know what's going through his mind most of the time," his voice sounded slightly bitter. "Len doesn't share anything with the rest of us, be it his triumphs or his pain. I think he just wants to be as removed as possible from us all, which is weird since he's the one who looks out for us. Do you think he regrets our presences?"

The sudden question startled Rei. It was so unexpected, especially from Gumo of all people. It was a question that might not seem too shocking if it came out of Nero's mouth, but Gumo? The happy-go-lucky Lost Boy who could always be relied on to stay cheerful and positive, even in the face of overwhelming crisis? Today was really a day of shocking new discoveries. Rei hadn't expected Gumo and Nero to fight either. Maybe Gumo was less upbeat than everyone else assumed.

He gave Gumo's question serious thought as the other Lost Boy stood there in front of him, waiting expectantly for an answer. Could Len possibly regret saving and raising them? "I don't think so," he finally answered, choosing his words slowly and carefully. "You are the youngest Lost Boy, so I don't blame you for feeling this way. But I still remember what it was like, being the first one to join Len in Neverland. And I genuinely think that if back then, I hadn't arrived…if Len continued being alone he might not have lasted as long, sanity-wise. We are people, after all. People need interaction to survive, it's only normal. I know far too well what it's like to not have anyone else to talk to," he met Gumo's gaze. Gumo held his stare for a few seconds before abruptly turning away.

None of the others were comfortable hearing his story, or any hint whatsoever about his past. Of course, they all knew each other's tales. The one thing they all had in common was the mistaken belief in their youth that they had nothing left to live for, at least not on Earth. But for Rei alone, that belief was not entirely mistaken. He wouldn't call Neverland a personal paradise or a worthy escape from his previous situation, but back then and even now it had been an answer to his prayers. He wouldn't tell Len that he was grateful for being brought all the way here, because honestly he couldn't be sure if he was happy about this or not, but between Neverland and remaining on Earth anyone else definitely would have chosen the lesser of two evils.

"Sometimes, I think I forget how old you are and how much you've been through," Gumo finally murmured, sounding almost ashamed. "You know, whenever I'm reminded of all the stories and personal histories we all have, it just makes me feel like a spoilt brat for not appreciating what I had back on Earth. I mean, out of all of us I definitely had the most pampered life. My parents didn't abuse me or abandon me. I didn't have to work from a young age, trying to make some kind of living to support my starving family. And I gave it all up because of one childish fit," he stared up at the rock ceiling, avoiding his gaze. Rei looked up too, studying the hard surface with its myriad of cracks and protrusions. Gumo's room ceiling was the lowest out of all of them, and given that he was one of the taller Lost Boys, this combination often led to concussions and colourful swearing whenever Gumo banged his head on the ceiling, something which happened worryingly often.

"What's done is done. And anyway, I actually think it's good that you were the most pampered," a small smile curved his lips. "Could you imagine if the next Lost Boy to join us happens to have a past similar to mine? I doubt we need to handle another one like that," he shook his head. "We have our share of survivors and fighters, and we don't need any more of such people. Hopefully there'll be no more Lost Boys," his tone turned bleak. "Since Lost Boys only show up when a child decides to leave behind his past and enter a new world. I'd hate to know what kind of circumstances could force a kid to abandon his parents, his home, any sentiment that could tie him down to Earth," he went on, noticing how Gumo's look of anguish seemed to worsen as he continued to speak.

"Sometimes children make stupid decisions," Gumo finally responded after a while, clearly struggling to suppress his emotions. Rei guessed that he didn't want to have another emotional outburst, not at him and certainly not so soon after his fight with Nero. Anyone could tell that the physical ordeal had worn the boy out, and he didn't have to see Nero to know that the blond boy was probably in a similar condition. There were faint scars all over Gumo's skin, marks which Rei could only see because of how sharp his vision was, even in dim lighting. The wounds would fully recover within the next few days, but Rei didn't want to think about how much brute strength was needed to inflict lasting injuries on a bear. Nero clearly hadn't been holding back.

But then again, Gumo probably gave as good as he got. His temperament was much like a bear's as well – he was slow to anger, but truly ferocious once riled. And the Lost Boy certainly had been extremely infuriated when he transformed into his spirit animal. "Youth is no excuse for stupidity," Rei pointed out bluntly. He softened his tone when Gumo flinched. "Don't take that personally. We all make mistakes. And there's always going to be that one mistake which changes our lives forever. This just happens to be your mistake, Gumo," he reached out to pat him gingerly on the shoulder, not wanting to aggravate any possible wounds in that area. Gumo's shoulder was stiff beneath his palm. "And going back to your concerns about Len and Miku – I'll definitely bring it up to Len if I catch him at the right moment. You know how rarely he's been in the den lately."

Gumo nodded. "Thanks, Rei. I would have asked him personally, but nowadays I have so many questions, so much doubt about everything, even myself…I hope it's just because I'm concerned about our situation," troubled light green eyes met his. Then he shook his head, his expression clearing up a little. "I guess everything will work out in the end, like how it usually does," he added in his typical cheerful way, and Rei felt a little relieved to hear Gumo back to normal.

He bade the other Lost Boy good day and turned to leave the room, but right before he could sweep the hanging vines aside, Gumo called out to him once more. "You said that everyone makes a life-changing mistake. What's yours, Rei? Given your history…it's not coming to Neverland, is it?"

Rei paused at that question, swivelling slowly around to watch Gumo. Gumo stared intently back at him, clearly eager to hear his answer – as proof that he wasn't the only idiot around who gave up everything he knew and held dear for a mere illusion, perhaps?

He turned his answer over in his mind, wondering what he could say that would he honest without affecting Gumo's fragile mood. He didn't want the boy to swing back into self-destructive doubt and pessimism again. In the end, he reached out to one of the hanging vines, sweeping it aside in preparation for his exit from the room. Then he turned to smile as wide as he could at Gumo, who was still waiting for his response. The words Rei next spoke came from the bottom of his heart.

"My mistake, Gumo, was probably being born. My very existence was a mistake. Sometimes, back when I was a child, I really wished I would just die, or at the very least fade away into nothing," he paused, staring at Gumo's startled face. "But that was in the past. I eventually got over it, and you will too," his smile tightened. "Get some rest. You'll need it to recover from your injuries. Good day."

Then he brushed the vines aside and headed off towards his own room, thinking about Gumo's request and his reaction to Rei's true sentiments about himself. He really didn't think that he was worthy of living sometimes, having been told so many times in the past that he was useless. It was something practically engraved into his psyche now, and moving on was exceedingly difficult. But he was trying his best to ignore it and put the past behind him. He could only hope to succeed.

* * *

"Len," he heard his name being whispered to him, but it sounded so muffled, so far away. Almost as though someone was calling to him through water, and he was drowning at the bottom of a lake, miles and miles below. "Len…" that voice again. He couldn't seem to open his eyes. "Stop dreaming…you need to wake up!" the voice seemed to get louder, and he could almost recognise it – but then someone shook him hard and his eyes flew open as he gasped for air, chest heaving.

"You've been asleep all day. Someone is looking for you," he rubbed tiredly at his eyes and peered up at whoever had woken him up. Piko gazed back at him, eyes hard, silvery hair falling around his face. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Len looked past him to his room exit and saw that there was no rosy evening light filtering through the vines. It was clearly the middle of the night. The second observation that he made was that he and Piko were the only ones in his room – Miku was gone.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" he questioned, rising from the mattress and stretching himself. He could feel his muscles popping. Piko pursed his lips at that question, looking almost worried for a second, but the moment passed and the craftsman turned away, staring out at the room exit as well. It was impossible to guess what was on Piko's mind. Of course, it wasn't too far-fetched to assume that sex was probably one of the things he was thinking about, but anything else was a mystery. Despite his waif-like, innocent appearance, Piko's mind was sharp and keen.

"You seemed tired. No one wanted to wake you, not even Rei. He came back in the middle of the day and went out again before the sun set. He and Gumo said they had something to talk about," Piko answered, sounding uninterested. "I only came in here at all because of your visitor. You need to settle this, because the moment Miku saw him here she fled into the forest and I want to look for her. I have concerns about how well she can handle herself outside the den. And I need to ask her a few questions," he added, pushing his fringe back from his eyes. For once, he sounded remarkably serious. It made Len wonder if there was something happening that was more urgent than what Piko let on.

He had a pretty good guess who the visitor was, if their presence could send Miku running out of the den. Len frowned – he certainly seemed to be making himself at home on their territory, traipsing in and out of their land as he pleased. Even if he claimed to be helping Len and the Lost Boys, there were certain customs that had to be respected and one of those was that people from neighbouring territories didn't continuously trespass on another's land. If he kept coming here without any official arrangement then what was the point of having formal borders?

"All right. Go and look for her, then," he dismissed Piko. "Bring her back too if you manage to find her. I need her around to talk to our guest. Oliver doesn't seem to like chatting with anyone else besides her," he noted. It was frustrating and extremely strange that the pirate had such a strange fixation on the Lost Girl, but Oliver probably wouldn't admit a single thing about his plans so Len didn't bother to ask. He would keep an eye on their interactions, though. It would be foolish to trust the pirate completely. Even the things he told them yesterday were pretty suspicious.

Piko paused at Len's words. He turned back to stare at his leader, and for a while Len thought that Piko wanted to say something. But then his expression darkened and he nodded, wordlessly ducking out of the room, one pale hand carelessly sweeping aside the vines hanging over the exit. Then the room was quiet and empty once more, save for him. Len glanced at the bed which used to be his, and which Miku now used. He felt like he might be getting used to her presence.

Rubbing his hand across his face, Len took a final look around his room and stepped out as well, the fresh air of the main cavern gently kissing his face. It was a welcome sensation, and he looked up at the open ceiling for a moment, gazing at the twinkling stars overhead. It seemed so peaceful. But he knew that this feeling of calm and serenity was merely an illusion, and it would be foolish to be lulled into a false sense of security because of lifeless, sparkling stars. He averted his gaze, studying the cavern and the fire pit. There was someone curled up against one of the logs.

He cautiously walked over to the figure and saw that it was Oliver, his eye closed, his hat tipped so that it was half-covering his face. He had taken off his ragged coat and was using it as a blanket, but the coat was a little too short to cover him completely so a bit of his bandage-covered foot was sticking out past the hem. Len wondered how long Oliver had been here, to be taking a nap in hostile territory – but then Piko would have woken him up if Oliver had arrived here earlier, right?

"Pirate," he addressed Oliver, not wanting to use his name. It wasn't like they were on friendly terms with each other. At the sound of his voice, Oliver's golden eye flicked open and a strange smile crossed his face as he adjusted his hat, sweeping his coat off his body. Len had the sneaking suspicion that perhaps Oliver hadn't really been asleep, after all.

"Well, if it isn't Peter Pan, finally awake to greet the newcomer," Oliver chirruped, sliding his arms into his coat. It settled on his shoulders, a coat slightly too baggy for such a slender boy, and Len briefly wondered where the coat had come from. A father figure? From the previous captain? One of their comrades who died? He wouldn't ever know the answer. "I thought I would rot here and become fodder for the trees by the time you got up from your slumber. Where's Miku?"

Len could guess from the gleam in Oliver's eye that he knew perfectly well Miku wasn't in the den, and he more than likely also knew that he was the reason for her absence. But Len played along anyway. He wasn't in the mood to start some stupid, pointless quarrel with a capricious pirate whose intentions, even at this point, were mysterious and unknowable. "She's outside. Piko is looking for her right now," he answered. "Why, do you need her to be around for whatever you have planned today?" he folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes at Oliver.

Oliver smiled serenely. "No, let her be. If she wants to stay outside and embrace the forest…if she wishes to become one with nature, then she ought to be free to do whatever she wishes. I'm hardly in the position to decide what she should do with her time," there was a knowingness in Oliver's tone that made Len extremely uncomfortable, and he wondered if there really was anything the pirate knew about Miku which he didn't. Or maybe the pirate was just trying to mess with his mind.

"That's nice of you, to care about what she's doing with her time," he countered. Both boys just looked at each other for a while, Len suspicious, Oliver serene. Then he spoke again, since it didn't seem like Oliver was in any rush to do things. "What are you here for today, Oliver? And how did you even get into our den?" he scowled. Their den was hidden, and most outsiders should have no knowledge whatsoever on how to find their way in, not unless someone showed them the way.

Oliver shrugged. "I followed Piko from the forest all the way into the den. Pretty sure that he knew I was tailing him the entire time, so maybe you ought to ask him why he let me follow him instead of grilling me. I don't know anything," he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. Oliver's words made Len pause – Piko was the one who showed Oliver the way to their den? There was always the possibility that the pirate was lying, no matter how small the chances were…but he decided to ask the silver haired boy about this issue when he returned from the forest, nevertheless.

There had to be a reason for everything. "Forget that for a while. Just tell me now – you trespassed on our territory yesterday, so why are you back here again tonight?" Len asked about the issue at hand, determined to warn Oliver about his behaviour. He might have to ask Hook to restrain Oliver's wanderings as well. If Nero caught Oliver on their land again, there was no telling what the aggressive, territorial tiger would do to him. Speaking of Nero, Len wondered where he was now.

He didn't think anyone else was in the den except for him. It was considered pretty late for the Lost Boys, and the others must all have woken up to carry out their daily activities by now. Nero was the only Lost Boy whose whereabouts and plans for the day Len did not know about, and that lack of knowledge made him uneasy. "Well, night has fallen, you see," Oliver shrugged once more. "And the sirens are singing. I just wanted to get away from all the noise, but then I thought it might be a good opportunity for you to see what you're up against. Would you like to take a look?" Oliver offered, a knowing grin on his face. Of course he knew Len would say yes. He had to, to know and understand the sheer magnitude of the task at hand. Instead of opening his mouth, Len simply nodded, and Oliver's smile widened. "Then let's go down to the pirates' territory. Don't forget your ear plugs," he added, turning away from Len. "I'd hate for the Lost Children to lose their dear Peter Pan."

"You seem convinced that I won't be able to resist the sirens, just like the rest of the crew," Len countered, taking note of Oliver's cautionary words anyway. He'd cover his ears later. The pirate was walking ahead of him, his ragged coat swaying with every motion, and in the dim light Len was reminded of the cold ocean waters, rolling and whispering against a sandy shore.

"Oh, it's not that I doubt you, Peter Pan," Oliver answered without missing a beat, striding onwards determinedly like a man about to face his executioner. There was a certain stiffness to his shoulders that Len was only seeing now. "But I doubt the others. You don't know what kind of effect a siren's singing can have upon hapless mortals. And believe me, you don't wish to know."

With that cryptic warning in mind, the two boys left the safety of the den, and Len couldn't help but wonder if he was really going to find out more information about his task or if he was simply being escorted to his doom.


	36. Chapter 36

Miku sat on a fallen log, shuffling her feet in the dirt. She wasn't sure if Oliver was still in the den, but if he was, she wasn't going to head back there. Oliver's dark warning lingered in her mind – the promise that he wouldn't treat her as kindly the next time he ran into her.

Well, she wouldn't allow him any opportunity to fulfil that promise, then. She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. The darkness of the forest was almost suffocating, but she paid it no heed for now – she had not gone very far from the den, so she didn't feel like she was in danger. She was still near the forest path, so she ought to be relatively safe. And besides, the Lost Boys were all awake and carrying out their nightly activities, so even if she did run into any trouble, she could call for help. The rough wood of the log felt warm and reassuring against her legs. What could she do tonight? She wasn't too sure herself.

"Miku?" she looked up at the sound of the name, recognising the soft-spoken voice. Piko pushed his way through the shrubbery, silver hair glistening faintly in the dim moonlight. "Oh, there you are. I was looking for you," the Lost Boy hesitated, then slowly walked over to her. Miku scooted over on her log, giving him space to sit – she was thankful for the unexpected company, though she didn't say so aloud. Piko glanced at her before he sat, and she wondered what he was thinking. "I noticed you ran out the moment you saw Oliver."

"Yeah," she mumbled, unsure how to explain why she did such a thing. She felt like what Oliver showed her was a secret – it wasn't something that she could just go around telling other people. The dark shadows which haunted both her and him weren't something that just anyone could find out about. They nearly drove her crazy back on Earth, and she was afraid that if she told anyone about the shadows, she would spread her curse and drive another person mad as well. "Something happened between us once, and it's just really, really awkward to be in the same room as him right now. I'd rather leave him alone."

She half-expected Piko to ask her what that ' _something_ ' which happened between her and Oliver was, but to her surprise, he didn't probe further. Instead, the silver haired craftsman sighed and tilted his head up, perhaps searching the night sky for the moon. Miku did the same, looking upwards as well, but she couldn't see anything beyond the dense canopy of leaves. "Given what happened between you and Oliver, that time when you visited their pirate ship, I can easily imagine why you would find it awkward to be around him now. I won't ask," Piko promised, much to her relief. It was to her advantage if he assumed that it was because of _that_ incident – though it was kind of related, since Oliver wouldn't have told her about the shadows and revealed the true extent of his abilities if she hadn't gambled with him on the pirate ship and caused him to lose his temper. He really was…very strange.

"What does he want, anyway?" she changed the subject, trying to divert attention away from her reluctance to spend time around Oliver. Piko shrugged, still looking up at the night sky, and Miku turned her gaze away from the canopy, glancing over at the Lost Boy. Here, Piko truly looked like…a boy. He had always been the youngest-looking among all the Lost Children, but right now he seemed so thoughtful and aloof, the striking image of a young adolescent wondering about life and all kinds of other things. It was easy to forget what he could be like if he wasn't being dead serious, though Miku thought that nowadays, Piko was flirting with her less and less. Perhaps he was distracted by other, more urgent matters?

"Who knows? Certainly not I. Oliver was looking for Len, so only Len would know what the pirate could possibly want from us…" he shrugged his thin shoulders again, but there was a certain tension in his tone that made her think Piko wasn't quite as blasé as he sounded. "I just hope that Len can settle the fire _kararehe_ soon. It's getting close, we have maybe two weeks or so left to the attack, and if we haven't found any allies by then we might have to consider moving to someplace safer," the Lost Boy mused, his tone becoming bleak.

"I'm sure that Len is working on it," she answered, reaching forward to pick up a branch from the ground. Piko didn't answer, and she used the tip of the branch to draw useless patterns in the dirt, wondering how long she had to stay outside the den. She snuck another peek at the boy, and saw that Piko had finally looked down from the sky, his gaze fixed on the ground ahead of him. He looked like he was thinking about something – what they would do if Len couldn't save them, perhaps? All the Lost Boys were worried. None of them knew what Len was doing, and Miku couldn't honestly say that she knew that much either.

She suspected that Len's plan had something to do with the sirens Oliver was talking about, but Len did not explain how the sirens and that hydra the pirate spoke of were related to the fire _kararehe_. She wanted to ask, but Len had fallen asleep shortly after they returned to the den and even when she left, he still had not woken up, so she didn't really get a chance to ask him anything. She definitely wanted to know why he trusted the words of someone like Oliver, but…well, she hoped that Len knew what he was doing. The pirate was full of secrets, and she had the sneaking suspicion that he was just manipulating all of them like chess pieces in some grand plan known only to himself. What could that master plan be?

"You have a lot of faith in Len, don't you, Miku?" Piko suddenly asked, the unexpected words startling her. She looked up from the dirt, the branch hanging loosely from her fingertips, and saw that the craftsman was staring intently at her, expression unreadable. "Of course, we all believe in Len, but you seem to be… _extremely_ loyal to him. No, perhaps loyal isn't the right word to use, but…you get my drift," he tilted his head, studying her closely. "I'm just very curious to know why you're able to trust him to such an extent? You were the last one to join us, after all. You'd have the most reason to be suspicious of him."

She hesitated. This sounded like an interrogation of some sort. She didn't think Piko was trying to get any information out of her or anything – what could she tell him that he would find useful, anyway? – but it still made her feel a little uneasy. Clearly, there was something important going through Piko's mind. Both Neverland and the Lost Boys were withdrawn, mysterious entities. There was Rei and his strange reluctance to spend time around her, Len with the secretive plans he wouldn't share with anyone else, and now Piko and the strange, capricious questions he asked, which all seemed to have so little link with each other.

"Well, I went with him to visit the Red Indians. There were a few times where he could have easily abandoned me to finish the journey on his own, but he didn't, so I guess…I just began to really, really trust him after that," she mumbled. The explanation didn't quite seem to cut it – was it really that simple? She personally didn't know if this was the real answer, either.

Piko raised an eyebrow. "Then you trust easily?" he questioned. She had to stop and think about that. Did she? She didn't think she was someone who often trusted quickly. Miku did not view herself as particularly gullible, and she was often wary of strangers. She had always been this way, since she was hardly shown any parental care or affection after her father passed away, and given the experiences she suffered when she was still schooling, it was perfectly understandable why she was reluctant to believe the words of others. Especially if those others happened to be men. She shrugged, unwilling to give a concrete answer, and Piko exhaled, looking up towards the sky again. Miku found that she was unable to relax.

"Did you ever wonder about our pasts?" he changed the topic. Miku turned to look at him, wondering why he was bringing this up, and Piko flashed her a small, humourless smile. "I'm just really curious about _yours_. Why did you choose to come to Neverland, hmm?" he held out his hand, taking the branch away from her, and began to tap the broken branch against the old, rough wood of the log they were sitting on. "No one comes to Neverland without a reason. And you…you're not as young as the rest of us when we got here. So why, Miku?"

She hesitated. Was it really okay for her to just talk about her past here, so openly, and with Piko, of all people? She didn't imagine that he would be the first person she ever spoke to about her background. Len already knew of her shadows, and she figured he knew that her family background was far from perfect – he was the one who had seen her back on Earth, after all. And she was terrified of others finding out that she was abnormal. But these boys were far from normal themselves. Perhaps they would be the first group of people who would truly understand what it felt like to be… _different_. Or was that mere wishful thinking?

"I didn't have a happy childhood," she finally answered. As she spoke, she decided not to bring up the shadows. That would remain her secret for now. Besides, it wasn't like Piko would know what those dark beings were anyway. "My father died when I was a child. My mother raised me alone, and she was not a kind woman. Not after she took to alcohol, at least," she shrugged her thin shoulders, feeling a little self-conscious. She wasn't used to talking about herself. No one had asked her for her story before, not really. And she wasn't sure if she would have told most people even if they asked, anyway. "My grandfather helped to raise me, and I think he is where my mother got her cruelty from…" she paused, trying to gather her thoughts and not break down into an incoherent mess. This whole topic was sensitive, and just talking about it brought up wounds she had thought long healed.

Piko seemed to sense her anxiety. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to," he reassured her, placing one slender hand on her back comfortingly. The other hand held loosely on to the branch, his thumb unconsciously rubbing circles against the wood. "If you want, I can tell you a little more about myself…which you should see as an honour really, because I don't reveal my tragic backstory very often," he added, a small smirk on his face.

Miku smiled a little and nodded, gladly taking up on his offer. It would be interesting to find out more about one of the Lost Boys, and it would also be an excuse for her to stop talking about herself. Piko cleared his throat, removing his hand from her back. "I belonged to a family of four. Me, my darling sister, a mother and a father. We were happy," he paused. "Or as happy as one could be when you're going through a famine, I suppose. There was rarely any food to fill our bellies, but I think that at the end of the day, we were relatively happy."

She frowned at what he said. A famine? Then he must be from some region of the world that was not as developed or well-off as her own. For all her mother's neglect and stark indifference, the woman had at least never starved her. Piko continued, his gaze becoming dreamy and unfocused, as though he was staring at something far off in the distance. "My father was skilled at our family trade, I would say one of the best in the country. So it came as no surprise to anyone when he was forced into service by the…well, he had to work on a project somewhere far away. He never returned," Piko glanced at her, his gaze hardening.

"What happened to him?" Miku spoke up quietly, almost afraid to ask. Piko smiled, a small humourless smile, and shrugged, dropping his branch onto the forest ground. He clasped his pale hands together, and at the same time the moonlight shifted, shining through a gap in the dense canopy and landing softly upon him. He suddenly looked distant and cold, a lonely sentinel standing guard over some long-lost secret. She almost thought he wouldn't answer.

"He died," Piko's words came out as softly as her own, and she blinked, startled by his answer. "None of us were surprised, really…when he left our home, some sixth sense told me that it would be the last time we ever saw him. I ignored it, of course. Maybe I should have said something, maybe I should have spoken up – but I didn't, and I never saw my father again. My mother fell apart when news came of his demise," he shook his head. "I was only fourteen. My sister was eight. My mother lost her mind. I had no other choice but to take over my father's trade, and try to earn enough to support the family. But it was very difficult. I was the head of the house, yet at the same time, I was no more than a child," he smiled. "Thinking about it now, I'm surprised that I could last as long as I did back then."

"What was the family trade?" she asked, still shocked by what he revealed. She had figured that he had some kind of difficult past – there would be no other reason for him to come to Neverland, right? And admittedly, it wasn't extremely surprising to hear that someone from his family had died – it was sad, but entirely possible, and her own father had passed away when she was little as well. No, Piko's father's death by itself wasn't surprising – what was shocking was how neutral Piko sounded while he was talking about it. There was no emotion in his words, and his gaze was devoid of any sadness…of any feeling at all, actually. Piko's smile widened.

"Woodwork. I thought you should know that by now," he raised one of his slender hands, slowly flexing his fingers. "My father was a carpenter by trade. He taught me everything he knew when I was a child, and I spent most of my youth in my father's workshop, watching him work. My parents always told me I had a natural affinity for wood, and my father…he expected me to far surpass him one day. And perhaps I really have," he stared down at his hand for a while, and she waited patiently for him to continue, knowing that he was most likely lost in his own thoughts. She didn't think now would be a good time to ask more questions.

Piko suddenly glanced up again, meeting her gaze once more. That strange, humourless smile on his face had disappeared. "Enough about me. I'm in an odd mood tonight – the moonlight makes me feel like talking about our pasts. You can ask me about one other Lost Boy, and I might tell you something regarding his background. Choose wisely, you can only ask about one other person – Len included," Piko added, tilting his head and studying her.

She swallowed. Of course, she was extremely tempted to ask about Len. She knew hardly anything about him, after all, and he was truly so mysterious – he was the first child to set foot on the shores of Neverland, and she had barely even scratched the surface when it came to his past. But then there was another Lost Boy she was becoming more and more curious about, and she wanted to know why he kept avoiding her…perhaps finding out more about his past would provide a clue, since no one seemed willing to tell her the answer.

"Rei," she finally decided, and when she spoke his name her voice trembled. She cleared her throat and spoke again, this time forcing herself to sound firm. "I want you to tell me about Rei," she repeated, and Piko blinked at her, something almost like surprise flitting across his face. But he caught himself, his expression quickly smoothening into a look of neutrality, and he nodded, pressing his fingertips together and placing his hands beneath his chin.

"That's really interesting, you know. Asking about Rei, I mean," he looked away from her again, staring out into the forest beyond. His voice was languid and ponderous, almost a drawl but not quite. "I can't blame you for wanting to find out more about him, though. He is quite an enigma, isn't he? And it doesn't help that he never wants to spend any time around you," he laughed quietly. "Of course I'll tell you whatever you want to know about Kagene Rei, Miku. But keep in mind that you may just end up regretting your curiosity."

* * *

"Are you all right?" Gumo yelled, shaking his shoulder as the raven-haired boy stumbled against the tree, his other hand clutching desperately on to his forehead. His fingers fisted at his dark hair, his eyes squeezed shut in a combination of pain and terror. He moaned.

Rei couldn't see. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel, he couldn't even breathe. All he could sense was the foreign presence attacking him, attacking his brain, trying to invade his head – and all he could do was gasp helplessly, running through the forest as though that would bring him further away from the invisible aggressors. Gumo struggled to keep up with the older boy as Rei howled, a sound that was halfway between human and animal, already beginning to shift into his animal form in an attempt to block out the agony. "Rei!" Gumo shouted again, wondering whether he ought to shift into his own animal form as well.

He and the older boy had simply been walking through the forest, having a private talk about Len's possible plans and what they would do if the _kararehe_ ended up torching their territory – they wandered all the way to the edge of their land, near the place where the carcass of the dead Flame Wolf had been the other time they were here. Gumo didn't even realise where they were until Rei suddenly collapsed, writhing in pain, and now the dark boy was stumbling through the forest, blind to his surroundings. The last time they were here, some _other_ entity had spoken through Rei's body – was the exact same thing happening now? Maybe Rei was trying to fight it off. Gumo didn't know if he was winning.

With a deep, mournful howl that seemed to become more animalistic the longer it went on, Rei shifted, his human clothes dropping from his heaving flank onto the forest ground. The wolf was almost screaming as it tore away into the trees, crossing the border into the dark heart of the forest where none of them were supposed to go. Gumo hesitated for a split second, but he knew that he couldn't leave Rei alone in such a state, so taking in a deep breath he changed into his bear form as well, chasing after Rei. He was much slower when he took on his animal skin, but he was also a lot stronger than when he was in his human body, and he'd feel safer going through the heart of Neverland in his animal shape.

The bear lumbered after the enraged wolf, Gumo sniffing the air and trying to track his fleeing companion as the wolf sped through the dark, the tall trees becoming denser and more menacing the deeper they went into the heart of the forest. They really shouldn't be here. He had heard plenty of stories from Len about how dangerous this part of the forest was, and why none of the other ethnic groups ever tried to claim this territory for themselves. The forest here was harsh and unforgiving, and many an unsuspecting soul had lost their way in the night, doomed to wander through the ghostly forest for the rest of eternity, lost spirits who shed their corporeal forms and eventually became will-o'-the-wisps. He shuddered.

Rei was still running blindly through the forest, unable to comprehend where he was or where he was headed. In his current state, he had no concept of direction or location, and he just knew that he wanted to get as far away from the pain as possible. But no matter how far he ran or how quickly he went, the mental stabbing continued, hundreds of razor-sharp claws digging into his skull and spitting into his eyes. Whatever the hostile presence was, it wanted him vacated from his own brain – it wanted to speak through him, to use his tongue and mind the same way it did the first time. But Rei recognised the presence now, and this time, he fought as hard as he could, determined not to relinquish any control.

 _It's just a dream, everything is a dream – when you wake up, when you open your eyes, you won't be dreaming anymore_. He continued to sprint, some strange, detached part of his mind wondering if the agony would ever stop. Or maybe he was just getting used to it. His legs were getting tired, but his eyes were watering. He skidded to a stop, panting as his tongue lolled out from his mouth, shaking his head. A low whimper of pain escaped him, but for once the mental assault had let up enough for him to observe his surroundings. And when he finally noticed where he was, he tensed, hackles rising. This wasn't…it wasn't good.

He was in the heart of the forest. He hadn't realised that he ran all the way here in a bid to escape the pain, and self-consciously he stepped back – he had heard enough stories to have an instinctive aversion to this place. Even through the steady, throbbing pain in his head, he still knew that he shouldn't be here. He gazed around, narrowing his golden eyes in an attempt to resist the foreign presence – where was he? He had never come so deep into the heart of the forest before. It almost seemed colder here compared to the rest of Neverland, and the wolf in him, roused by his agitation, seemed to recoil and growl in frustration. The animal half of him wanted to get the hell out of here, and for once, he was inclined to follow suit.

He heard a familiar roar and turned slightly to see Gumo stomping down the path through the trees, clearly concerned about him. He huffed, trying to gather his thoughts. The pain in his head was all but gone now – it had left as quickly as it came upon his realisation that he was in forbidden territory. The forest was cold here, and mist wreathed the branches, shrouding everything in shadows and darkness. The damp mist made his fur stand on end. He waited for Gumo as the large bear lumbered over to his side, and immediately felt much better about their situation now that he was no longer alone. They had to get out of here.

The bear stared at him, the younger Lost Boy waiting for Rei to start leading the way out. Rei didn't need Gumo to speak to know that he was probably nervous. He remembered going through the heart of the forest with Len a few times before in the past, when they needed to get to another ethnic group's territory as quickly as possible, but Gumo hadn't set foot here ever since he first arrived in Neverland, and Len told them so many stories about this place that none of them would willingly spend time here without any important reason.

Hopefully, being in this place would make Gumo forget about Rei's…relapse earlier. He didn't want to call it a relapse, but what else could he call it? He was old enough to protect himself – no foreign entity was supposed to be able to invade his mind. Whatever it was which tried to take over his head, it didn't succeed this time, but it had put him through a lot of anguish, and that was enough to make him afraid. He was rarely ever afraid, but there was so much changing about Neverland and _himself_ that he couldn't help but feel nervous. Jerking his head to one side, he pointed with his nose, indicating the way they had come. The bear nodded, and Rei led the way, Gumo walking as quietly as possible behind him. He wasn't very quiet since the bear was pretty big, but Rei respected his efforts nevertheless.

The mist shrouded everything around them, making it extremely difficult to see through the darkness. It was like going through the Lost Valley of Souls in the middle of the night – Rei was reminded of the last time he encountered the zombies, and he shook himself sharply, trying not to think about that. His head was pounding, and recalling memories like those would probably just make his headache worse. He had a horrible suspicion now about what had invaded his mind the previous time – he fought back enough to sense what the other presence was, and he knew it was a bad sign. What on earth did they want? Wasn't it bad enough that they were already planning to attack their home? Why try to speak through him? Were they trying to give them a warning of some kind? What were their intentions?

He heard something crack in the darkness behind them, a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot. He whipped around, hackles rising at the noise, and saw Gumo stiffen next to him as he registered what had happened. The two animals exchanged a look – in the end, Rei turned back to the path and carried on, hoping that he wasn't making a huge mistake by ignoring the unexpected sound. Gumo didn't protest his decision, and both the bear and wolf hurried through the forest as quickly as they could. They could talk about their experiences when they were finally out of the heart of the forest. This was probably the most dangerous area in the whole of Neverland, and he didn't want to spend another minute more inside it.

Hopefully they would make their way out without any further mishap. If anything, anything at all, happened to either one of them, especially Gumo…he knew it would be entirely his fault. He was the one who had lost control of himself and ran headfirst into dangerous territory. This place was forbidden for a reason. He bared his teeth, padding quietly through the woods, his footsteps soft and silent. If there was anything moving through the trees beyond, he definitely didn't want to capture their attention. Given his luck, they would end up running into one of the _kararehe_ and bring even more trouble upon themselves. He didn't know where the elemental beasts lived, but he wouldn't be surprised if they all lived in the heart of the forest. The dark heart was where Neverland's magic was strongest.

Suddenly, the loud crack sounded again, this time significantly closer than it was the first time. Rei and Gumo both tensed at the sound – the first time they heard it, it could have been passed off as mere coincidence, nothing to be concerned about, but a second time was suspicious. Rei didn't really want to go nosing around since there was no guarantee for their safety here, but it would be even worse if they were caught off-guard by whatever was making that cracking sound. Maybe there was something following them, and it had stepped on a fallen branch or something. If so, Rei hoped whatever was following them didn't wish them any harm.

Gumo bumped his muzzle against his flank, and Rei stumbled, the bear's greater strength catching him unawares. He stared at his companion, and Gumo jerked his head in the direction of the cracking sound, letting out a low, quiet moan of nervousness. Rei wished he could shush the bear, but he couldn't do that while he was a wolf, so he settled for nuzzling his head against the bear's shoulder. Gumo relaxed slightly, and Rei withdrew, baring his sharp teeth, a soft growl rumbling in his throat. There was nothing for him to be afraid of. He wasn't alone here, after all – the two of them should be able to handle anything this cursed forest could throw at them. If it really _did_ turn out to be _kararehe_ , they would just get the hell out of here. There was ultimately nothing to worry about then, was there?

The loud crack rang out through the trees again, this time right next to them. He turned his head sharply, and saw the shrubbery nearby rustling. He tensed, hackles rising, and the bear beside him growled loudly, trying to warn off any would-be attackers. The leaves continued to tremble, and the two Lost Boys held their breaths, preparing to face the newcomer. Then a few seconds later, the leaves parted and whatever had been following them stepped out into the open, meeting their startled gazes defiantly, head raised, back proudly arched. It was a position of dominance and superiority, and Rei instantly felt the urge to defer to it, averting his gaze and pressing himself down against the ground. Gumo backed away slightly.

" _And so, the wolf arrives_ …" Rei lifted his gaze and stared straight at the newcomer, who had spoken within his mind – the newcomer, whose eyes were mere gaping holes in its skull, yet those empty eyes held far more intensity than even Rei himself was capable of. " _I've been trying to reach you for a long, long time, Kagene Rei. Why don't you and your friend first make yourselves comfortable? I'm afraid that you'll be kept in the dark heart for a while."_


	37. Chapter 37

Len could feel the cool night breeze against his face. It was quite relaxing actually, and the wind felt almost like fingers, twining through and ruffling his blond hair. Oliver, who was walking a little distance ahead, glanced around at him with a small smirk on his face.

"What are you grinning at?" Len shot at him, a little disturbed by the smile on his face. He couldn't help but feel like the pirate was just leading him into some kind of trap – a feeling that had not been alleviated as they travelled together through the forest. There was just something innately _strange_ about Oliver – and the funniest thing was, Len could swear the gambling addict hadn't been like that in the past. Oliver used to be relatively normal.

He couldn't help but wonder what might have happened to change the pirate to such an extent. Or perhaps he hadn't changed – perhaps he had always been like that, and they were all only seeing this side of him now. Nevertheless…it was pretty disturbing. Come to think of it, Oliver only started acting up like this after he lost to Miku while gambling.

That girl really seemed to be a trigger point for everything in Neverland. Something could be said about that – maybe it really was more than just an unfortunate streak of bad luck. He still didn't think she was insane, despite the shadows and monsters she claimed lived in her head, but…clearly, she wasn't entirely normal either. Maybe there was a reason why she seemed so affected by states of the mind. But he had no time for possibilities and what-ifs.

"How willingly you followed me to what could very well be your downfall," Oliver responded cheerfully, his airy words echoing the same uncomfortable thoughts that were currently running through Len's head. "I mean, we both know that you don't trust me, nor do I expect you to trust me given everything you've seen and heard so far. But isn't this just making things too easy for me, if I really happen to be plotting something?" he tapped his head.

Len narrowed his eyes, wrinkling his nose as the night breeze brought to him the tangy scent of saltwater and beaches. They were fast approaching the coast. He wondered how near to the sea he'd have to be in order to hear the sirens singing. "Given how much you complain about the singing disturbing your sleep, I doubt you'd want to get rid of someone who could help settle that problem," he finally answered. "Anyway," he changed the topic, not wanting to linger on such an unnerving possibility, "speaking of loud singing, you'd think we would have heard something by now. The only thing I hear is the sounds of the forest…"

Oliver shrugged, adjusting his eyepatch. He shouldered his way easily through the dark undergrowth, as though he could actually see where he was going amidst the pitch-black – and for all Len knew, perhaps he could. Len was aware that most of the pirates didn't have nocturnal vision as keen as his or the Lost Boys, but he also already knew that Oliver was not like most of the pirate crew. "Maybe they shut up for a while after none of the idiots out on deck jumped into the sea for them," he answered carelessly. "I don't know why they aren't singing, nor do I particularly care. I just want to get a good night's rest, is that so much to ask for?" he continued grumbling as they travelled, but Len tuned out his complaints.

They had to be reaching the shore soon. He vaguely remembered this path, and he could tell that the foliage was thinning – in a few more minutes his feet would be bringing him out into the wide, open beach. He could hear the faintest echoes of the waves crashing against the shore. Other than the sound of the sea, the beach was eerily silent – but then again, most birds were asleep by now, and the ones that remained were silent hunters. The forest did seem to be eerily still, and that seemed to support the fact that the sirens had appeared.

The wildlife in Neverland only ever shut up so completely when there was something amiss. Something supernatural, like the will-o'-the-wisps, or even other things…entities that could be just as sinister as they were mysterious. The _kararehe_ were an excellent example of that. Len winced – speaking of the _kararehe_ , he had to keep what the water snakes said in mind. There was a tight timeline he had to stick to if he wanted to keep the Lost Children safe from the fire of the Flame Wolves. Following Oliver was the first step to that timeline.

"And here we are, at the edge of paradise," Oliver suddenly spoke, voice dripping with sarcasm. Len blinked, not having realized that they already reached the edge of the forest. He lifted his gaze and saw nothing but a long expanse of darkness ahead, shimmering and rippling silently underneath crescent slivers of moonlight – the ocean, in all its magnificent vastness. As he stared, he suddenly felt the pouring of saltwater into his lungs, and in an overwhelming fit of panic he reached up to his throat, struggling to take in deep breaths before he drowned in a familiar, icy chill – then the feeling passed as quickly as it came, and he was trembling.

He hadn't remembered this sensation in ages, that being one of the memories he preferred to lock away in the back of his head. But he knew what it was. The feeling of drowning. Even though it had been centuries since that incident happened to him, when he closed his eyes and the nightmares drifted to him, he could still recall everything with shocking clarity.

Oliver stared coolly at him, his expression carefully neutral. It seemed like he was waiting for some kind of response. Shakily, Len nodded, his hand still halfway up to his throat. Realising that Oliver was glancing at his outstretched hand, he self-consciously let his hand drop to his side, the other hand brushing his fringe away from his eyes in a show of nonchalance. He was worried about the sudden recollection of a memory which hadn't bothered him in ages, but decided that it was all due to stress. He was a bundle of nerves. It was excusable. "So, where is the pirate ship? And where are all the sirens?" he asked, willing his voice not to tremble. He was glad when his vocal chords obeyed – he'd hate to show any vulnerability.

His companion didn't respond straightaway, and when he did, his tone was wondering. "Drifting somewhere out in the sea, perhaps. I don't know. That's the beauty of a ship, isn't it – that it can roam the waters far, far away, buying into an illusion of freedom and escape," there was something almost bitter about his choice of words. "We will have to travel out a little into the sea. I hope you do not mind the damp or chill," he paused. "I took a lifeboat to get from the ship to the shore, and I recall docking it somewhere along this beach, so now we simply have to find the lifeboat. If you hear any singing, please stuff your ears – it would be a very great inconvenience if you were to jump into those waters like a raving madman."

"It's not me you need to worry about," Len muttered half-heartedly, barely paying attention to the pirate as they both started searching for the lifeboat Oliver spoke of. The gambler did not answer that, though the questioning look of curiosity he shot Len was not missed by the boy in question. Len was still distracted by his memories though, and he searched alongside Oliver in silence, his inner turmoil completely invisible to anyone other than himself. The waxing crescent moon seemed to shine more feebly tonight, and it almost looked like it was mocking his efforts. He ignored the weak radiance of the moon, used to the darkness. After all, it was in darkness that he felt most at home. His memories left little space for the light.

* * *

Rei and Gumo didn't have any idea what situation they had gotten themselves into. The Lost Boys were sitting next to each other, right in front of one of their enemies. The _kararehe_ studied them, and Rei couldn't tell what the wolf was thinking. It was hard to guess what an animal was feeling when there was nothing but empty sockets where their eyes should be.

" _I'm sure you are wondering why I am speaking to you,_ " the wolf suddenly spoke, its voice echoing in Rei's head. It was a difficult voice to describe, somewhere between animal and human. It was low and growly, like the typical sounds a wolf might make, but there was a distinctly _human_ quality to it as well, which was rather unnerving. " _Why we deign to speak to you, when we have already declared war on your pack,_ " it continued, baring its teeth slightly. The wolf's mouth never moved beyond that, but he could hear the voice loud and clear. Gumo seemed confused, looking warily around him, and Rei realised that the other Lost Boy was not able to hear what the _kararehe_ was saying. Because he wasn't a wolf?

"What do you want?" he replied the wolf, his sudden words causing the nervous Gumo to whip around and face him. They had turned back into their human forms shortly after running into the _kararehe_ , just in case they needed to communicate with each other – bears and wolves shared no common tongue. The wolf continued staring at them, its teeth still bared, and for a while neither party moved or said a word. Rei refused to back down despite the silent tension, lifting his chin in defiance, and finally the wolf retreated a step. It seemed almost frustrated, and as Rei continued to watch it, its ruddy pelt flickered, the tiniest flames springing up across its fur. It was a deadly reminder of what the wolf was capable of.

" _You, to carry a message to your leader, Peter Pan,_ " the wolf finally answered, its words coming out reluctantly. " _I personally care not whether your pack lives or dies, but our alpha would like to tell him we are an honourable pack, and we will not consider it a fair victory if our enemies were disadvantaged from the very beginning. So, I am to give you a warning._ "

"And what would that warning be?" he asked, intrigued. Rei wasn't entirely sure if the Flame Wolf was trustable – after all, every time he ran into one of them, they seemed intent on killing him – but if the alpha had a message for them, then it had to be of importance. After all, alpha wolves never did anything without a strong, solid reason. Their first priority was always the welfare of their wolves, so to do something that did not directly involve the pack indicated that this was of particular significance. The wolf growled, a low rumble deep in its chest, and the dancing sparks erupted into full flame, fire in the shape of a wolf.

" _That you should not trust the water_ kararehe _any further than you can throw them_ ," the wolf snapped. " _They are cunning and manipulative, rotten to their core. Snakes will always be snakes, even if they try to convince you of otherwise_ ," its bared teeth were now dancing pillars of fire, and Rei could feel the blazing heat of the inferno threatening to scorch off his hair. He was thankful that the wolf had backed away from them earlier. Gumo was fidgeting beside him, clearly uncomfortable – whether it was due to their strange situation or due to the sudden heat, Rei wasn't sure. " _The hydra cannot be killed. It should not, it cannot die._ "

"Wait, what hydra?" Rei was confused, Gumo even more so since he could only hear Rei's side of the conversation. The wolf shot him a look that was almost scathing and shook its head – it had delivered its message, and there was nothing more it would say. The fire _kararehe_ then turned and sped away into the trees, even deeper into the dark heart of Neverland – despite the roaring fire, the mist and the dense trees quickly enveloped the animal, and within a few moments, it was as though the flames had never existed at all.

"So, care to let me know what that entire conversation was about?" Gumo whispered, clearly still on edge – the both of them were still stranded in forbidden territory, and though he tried not to show it, Rei wasn't feeling too comfortable about staying here either. The last time he went through the dark heart without Len was centuries ago, when he was just a boy. He still remembered it – Len asked if he wanted to return to Earth, and he said yes. They went together deep into this place, and there was a cave. On the other side of the cave was Earth.

He didn't manage to find his way through the cave. In fact, he couldn't really recall what had happened in that cave. It had been many, many years, but he had no problems bringing to mind other memories from that time period. It was just this particular memory that seemed dim, almost murky, as though something or someone had _tampered_ with the recollection. But that was ridiculous. No one had managed to get into his head…well, not besides that one entity a few weeks ago, and Rei was fairly certain what it was by now, given what just happened with the Flame Wolf. The carcass Nero found then surely was no coincidence.

Then again, how reliable were his memories? He was so old. Surely he couldn't remember everything the way it happened. He pushed aside the nagging doubts, focusing instead on talking to his companion – Gumo still looked a little afraid, and he was clearly looking to Rei for some advice. Rei heaved a sigh, looking around the area – mist surrounded them on all sides, rolling grey fog so thick that he could barely see more than a few metres ahead.

It was the perfect environment to lay a trap, an ambush of some sort. But he doubted that the Flame Wolves would do such a thing. The wolf could have easily killed them if it wanted to – well, perhaps not kill them, but severely injure them, yes. If it wanted to make a move it would have done so already. No, the only thing here that would be likely to kill them was the damp chill. In his human skin, he was beginning to notice just how cold the air around them was. "Let's shift back into our animal forms and get out of here first," he told Gumo, who nodded eagerly upon hearing his suggestion. Rei supposed that he just needed to follow someone, to place his faith in a person who wasn't himself. People often did that in the face of the unknown, especially if they had lower self-esteem like Gumo…

Wordlessly, both Lost Boys shifted back into their animal forms, Rei shaking himself and enjoying the sudden tension in his lupine limbs when he was fully done with the change. He always felt like he had more energy when in his wolf shape – there was just something invigorating about the transformation, something which could pour liquid fire into his veins and spur him onwards, no matter how exhausted he was right before that very moment.

This welcome burst of energy should be enough to get both him and Gumo out of the dark heart of Neverland, and back safely into familiar territory. Nosing at the ground, he noted that there was no trail, there was no scent. He could not make out the way they had come. The damp and mist proved too strong for even his wolfish senses, and a glance at the very frustrated bear showed that Gumo was facing the same difficulty. The scent of the forest here was rather strange, both familiar and unfamiliar. There was something else in the air around them that honestly, Rei had not noticed earlier while in his human form. He never had reason to pay attention to it before, since usually if he was crossing through the dark heart, he aimed to get through it as quickly as possible. This was the first time he had lingered around.

He didn't know if he was overthinking things or not, but he thought that he could smell the faintest traces – just the _faintest_ of traces – of Hatsune Miku. The part of her that made his hackles rise, made the wolf within him hungry…but it wasn't enough to drive him mad. In fact, it was barely enough for even his animal nose to detect. He shook himself, getting the scent out of his head – was he just imagining things? A second later, the scent disappeared.

Gumo glanced at him again, carefully nudging him with his leg. The wolf staggered slightly – Gumo was still nervous, and even as a bear it was obvious. He wasn't exerting the same kind of control he normally would over his strength, and there was more force behind the shove than usual. He picked up his pace, knowing that this was what Gumo wanted – to be on the move, and travelling quickly away from where the _kararehe_ had confronted them.

The mist clung to his fur, weighing it down with damp. It made him uncomfortable. His state of mind didn't help either – what did the wolf mean, with that warning? Could they even trust their enemies? He had no reason to believe it, and what's more Rei didn't even know who the water _kararehe_ were. He assumed Len did since he recalled their leader mentioning them once before, and it seemed like Len was seeking their assistance to counter the fire threat. That made sense, to fight fire with water. And if their enemies wanted to guarantee a win, of course they would try to cut off any ties between the Lost Boys and their potential allies. This was just a strategy they were using, wasn't it? To confuse and separate the Lost Children. Wolves knew that they were stronger as a pack, and more vulnerable when alone. There was strength in numbers.

He'd just have to ask Len when they got back to the den. There was no point speculating – Len himself would decide how they should proceed from here. He didn't quite like the idea of just reporting to their leader, though. After Gumo voiced out his concerns earlier, his words stayed in his head, nagging little doubts that irritated him. But what the other boy said was true. Their leader was being incredibly secretive, even about something that concerned their lives and safety. The least he could do was to let them know his plans, but they were kept in the dark – all Len told them to do was make sure that their living space was secure, but they knew nothing else. Defence couldn't possibly be the only thing Len was doing. He had to be making other plans since he kept leaving the den, but what were they?

He may not have addressed that part of Gumo's concerns, but that didn't mean those words didn't get stuck in his head. Piko seemed to be the first one who suspected anything at all, which wasn't surprising, given how perceptive the craftsman could be. Gumo was the most easily swayed among them, so it wouldn't be hard to assuage his fears, but Rei was not as gullible as the youngest Lost Boy. He'd definitely have to bring this up to Len later.

* * *

Len and Oliver were drifting silently out into open sea. Neither one of them were willing to row the boat, knowing that rowing the boat would be a symbolic gesture of deference – in the end, the pirate declared that the waves would bring them to ship if that was what fate intended for them. Now here they were, two boys quietly staring out into the dark horizon.

He had things on his mind. One part of him was curious about the sirens – he couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to resist their music, if he really was the same as any other person here on Neverland. He always knew himself to be unlike the others, and if he was able to resist the sirens' song, then surely that would only be proof of his difference. Yet, what if he found himself caving in to their music, diving into the cold waters just to hear another second of the beautiful song…or whatever it sounded like? He didn't know.

Before this, he didn't even know what sirens were. Their existence was something that had clearly been kept secret by the mermaids. Syrena and her sisters probably had their own reasons for doing so, but still…he wasn't sure if the pirates knew of the sirens before this. "Is this the first time the sirens have sung, or has it happened before?" he asked, his sudden words breaking the silence surrounding them. Oliver glanced at him, his face unreadable.

"No, it's not the first time," the pirate answered. "We have encountered them before, but they usually don't stay so long above the surface. They sing, a few sailors leap off the ship to their doom, and then they leave us alone for a few decades, sometimes centuries. This time is…different," there was something almost unfamiliarly sombre about Oliver's tone.

The pirate didn't say anything besides that, and Len didn't probe either. The two boys continued sailing onwards in silence, and he gradually found himself losing track of time as the boat rocked gently back and forth, the motions as calming as a mother's lullaby…in the deepest recesses of his memory he could still remember the sound of his mother's voice.

Perhaps it was only a few minutes, or maybe it stretched out into hours. He wasn't really sure – all he knew was that suddenly, Oliver leapt up, startling him, and at the same time he thought he could hear the faintest traces of singing. It was from somewhere very far away, so far that he could barely even hear them, but it sounded like music. "They're there," the one-eyed pirate hissed, staring out across the ocean – Len couldn't tell where the singing was coming from, but Oliver seemed able to do so, his single eye focused on something in the distance. "The sirens. They're not near the ship today…I wonder what they're up to?"

Len blinked, staring in the same direction as the pirate. He prided himself on his excellent eyesight, but he couldn't really see anything. Or maybe he just didn't know what to look out for? Oliver turned to face him, his face hidden in shadow. "We have to head there," he said brusquely, pointing out towards the north-east. "We'll both row. It's important that we get there as quickly as possible, before the sirens move and we lose them for the night. I'd hate to have made a wasted trip," he muttered, grabbing a pair of oars and tossing them at Len.

He caught them reflexively, hand shooting out to grab them before they could hit his head. Glancing warily at Oliver, who was searching for the other set of oars, Len carefully slid the oars into the cold waters, using them to cut a path through the ocean. Though there was a moon and stars tonight, the ocean did not reflect the heavens – it was like gazing at black, blank glass. Meanwhile, Oliver finally found his oars. Sitting once more, the pirate began to row in earnest, and Len found he had to use a lot more effort to match the pace he set.

There was a pleasant night wind, and it felt refreshingly cool against his bare face. The more they rowed, the louder the singing became, and his ears pricked in anticipation – though he still could not make out what they were singing or what the melody sounded like, he could tell that they were getting closer to the source of the music. He wondered if he ought to do something to protect himself, such as stuffing his ears perhaps, but he didn't have anything to block his ears with, and if he used his fingers he'd have to stop rowing the boat. He didn't think Oliver would be very happy about that, and he'd rather not get into a fight right now.

Not when they were so close to what they came for. He'd take precautions later, when they were nearer to the source. Besides, he wasn't completely sure he was susceptible to the singing anyway. "You still haven't said why you're not affected by their song," he called out to the pirate. Oliver glanced back at the sound of his voice, and there was a tiny, knowing smile on his face. It was the most infuriating smile Len had ever seen, and if the oars weren't keeping his hands occupied, he'd have to stop himself from reaching out to punch the smile off his face. "You said you couldn't explain the reason last time. How about now then?"

That condescending smile morphed into something that looked uncomfortably like pity. He glared at the pirate, not wanting his pity – it just made him feel like there was something he was missing, like all this was a jigsaw puzzle and the last piece he needed to complete it was just staring him right in the face. He was used to being the person who knew the most about Neverland, and having someone else who challenged that knowledge made him extremely uncomfortable. Or maybe Oliver was just pretending to know things that he actually didn't.

"It's still not the right time," was all the pirate said in response, turning away from Len again and focusing on rowing. "If it was the right time, Peter Pan, then I would fear very much for the fate of Neverland and the Lost Children. I would think that the end is coming very soon."

"Don't make things up if you don't actually know anything," Len retorted snappishly, not willing to play Oliver's mind games. "Neverland isn't going anywhere. We've all tried to get out of this place for centuries, and no one has ever succeeded. The only thing that's certain about our lives is that this poisonous island will live on forever, surviving on the misery of those who exist here. Why else do you think we all lead such long lives?" he asked scathingly.

Oliver tutted. "My, oh my. So much you know, Peter Pan, and at the same time, so little," the pirate sang, a childish lilt to his tone. Len was seized by a sudden, almost overwhelming urge to raise one of his wooden oars and hit Oliver over the head with it. It took a great deal of deep breathing and self-restraint to talk himself out of doing so. "But that shows that you have great potential. We should always aim to learn more about ourselves and the place we live in, don't you agree? The more you know, then the less you have to fear. At least, that's the case until you delve into the deepest, darkest secrets Neverland has to offer, and when they get inside your head, that's when the true nightmare begins. You should ask Miku."

The mention of Miku made him pause. Her very name was enough to throw him off. "Wait, you're saying that _Miku_ knows about Neverland's darkest secrets?" he asked, incredulous. How could she possibly know anything? The girl had just arrived here less than a month ago. And she was so weak, so helpless that she couldn't even be let out of the den on her own. If she ever stepped outside without company, it was practically guaranteed that she would run into some trouble. There was nothing Miku knew which he didn't find out about either.

Oliver shrugged, still not looking at Len. "Well, she _is_ very different, you can't deny that," he pointed out. "She came to Neverland with you, already broken. We all know that Neverland is the land of broken things – rejects silently washing up onto shore, a dumping ground for everything and everyone the Earth doesn't want. A dark, filthy escape masquerading as the brightest paradise. She came here knowing that the land was broken, a broken puppet just like herself. Someone who comes willingly, knowing the nature of where they're headed to, must surely know something _more_ about the place than they let on, don't you think? Or maybe she's just insane," Oliver laughed. It was a sharp, humourless laugh. Len flinched.

"She's not insane," he defended Miku, knowing that to be true. He had looked into her eyes and he knew that hers were not the eyes of a madwoman. Her green eyes were large and glassy, the eyes of an unreadable doll, but definitely lucid and sane. There were monsters living inside her head, dark shadows with unknown intentions, and he believed they were real. She didn't talk about those monsters often, but he sometimes heard her mumbling in her sleep…

"Is anyone really insane, or do they just see a reality that others cannot?" Oliver countered. Len scowled. He didn't come all the way here just to end up stuck on a small boat with the pirate, playing word games with a notoriously capricious gambler. There was a lull in the conversation, and Len suddenly heard the soft, melodious sound of _singing_. He swivelled towards the sound, the earlier conversation entirely forgotten as his ears strained towards the music, determined to make out what kind of story the sirens told through their melody.

There were no words. It was just a mournful tone, held long and wavering, over the vast expanse of water. The longer he listened, the more it sounded like a funeral dirge. That would be appropriate for the situation, he supposed – since anyone else who heard this song would most likely be headed to their deaths. As this thought came to mind, he blinked, abruptly realising that he was in no way attracted to the song. In fact, he didn't even think it was particularly astounding – Len felt like the mermaids didn't sound any different from the sirens when they sang, and their voices didn't lure men to their doom. The sirens did sound pleasant, he would admit that, but it wasn't so astounding that he would give up everything else just to hear a little more of the music. "Gets annoying after a while, doesn't it?" Oliver continued amiably, taking a break from rowing. "Like nails scratching against a blackboard."

"It's not that bad," Len disagreed absentmindedly, still trying to hear more of the singing – maybe there really was some kind of message in the song, and he hadn't heard enough to make it out. But no, the longer he listened, the more certain he became that they were just voicing meaningless syllables. "But I don't think it's particularly alluring. After listening to stories about their songs luring sailors to their deaths, you'd think it would be more…" his voice trailed off as he tried to find the right word to describe it, but he was too distracted.

"Awe-inspiring?" Oliver supplied. Len didn't answer. "Well, we don't have to row anymore," the pirate changed the topic when, even after a few moments, Len still didn't say anything. "They probably sensed our human presences, and they must be wondering why we aren't frantically swimming towards them right now. We just have to sit here and wait, and you'll catch your first glimpse of the sirens. Don't get out of the boat later, no matter what you see," Oliver warned, suddenly sounding very serious. Len nodded, though he questioningly raised an eyebrow, and surprisingly, the pirate went on to explain why. "The sirens get all their strength and power from the sea. If you don't leave the boat, they cannot harm us."

The two boys waited patiently, and just minutes later, Len could make out ghostly pale shapes slipping through the dark waters just a little distance ahead of them. There were three, and they all stopped a few metres away from their boat. One by one, the sirens surfaced from the water, only their heads and part of their shoulders visible. Len recognised the siren in the middle – light, silvery-blonde hair that shone almost white in the moonlight, coupled with icy blue eyes that could freeze Hell itself. Myariah, the mermaid he had killed.

Syrena had said that the sirens were created from the essence of dead mermaids and that they were completely separate entities, but that knowledge did not make staring into the face of a dead girl any less unsettling. "So, we have here the small pirate and Peter Pan himself," the Myariah lookalike spoke, her voice sounding almost reptilian – she spoke in a way that was like a hiss, but not quite. Len half-expected her to have a forked tongue. "And both of them are not succumbing to our singing, sisters. What do you think we should do?" she asked.

The other siren hissed, a sibilant sound that carried far over the waves. "Show them their worst nightmares," she answered, the third siren nodding in agreement. Oliver shot him a careful look but said nothing, and Len was reminded of the warning the pirate gave him just a few moments ago. The three sirens linked hands before them and, all of a sudden, the precious moonlight disappeared, as though the very moon itself had been completely extinguished. Darkness covered the whole place like a thick, suffocating blanket. Len couldn't see a thing.

Then just as abruptly, the screaming began.


	38. Chapter 38

_Everyone fears something. It could be something as tiny as a mouse, something as great as the moon. So, what is your fear, the one who thinks he knows everything there is to know_?

His eyes were shrouded with darkness. He couldn't see a thing. All he could hear was an unearthly shrieking – no, howling. It sounded like a banshee's howl. He couldn't even see Oliver, though he knew that the pirate was on the same boat as him. He wanted to cover his ears to drown out the screaming, but no matter how hard he pressed his hands against his ears, he could still hear them. Was it the sirens making that sound? He couldn't be sure.

The boat was rocking. He clutched on to his seat, afraid of being thrown into the waters. He kept Oliver's warning in mind – that as long as he stayed on the boat, the sirens couldn't do anything to hurt them. But the motions of the boat were becoming almost too violent for him to hold on – he thought he could hear, through the almost-deafening screaming, the roar of waves crashing against their small vessel. The scent of saltwater was overpowering.

There was a sudden pause. The shrieking stopped. Len cautiously released his ears – maybe the sirens were tired. But the skies were still dark. He could just vaguely make out Oliver's figure right beside him, but he was nothing more than a shadow, almost intangible. "It's not over yet," Oliver's whisper was shaky. Len barely processed those words when his ears, still ringing from the wailing, picked up a low rumble. The sound reminded him of earthquakes…

The scent of saltwater grew, if possible, even stronger. There was a sickening feeling in his stomach as memory and instinct came together, a terrible reminder of what he had once gone through – and then the wave crashed over the boat, and Len felt the wood of the seat slip past his fingers. He didn't have time to shout before he was swept out into the sea.

His first instinct was to flail. Water rushed up his nose, through his open mouth, into every crevice it could access. He could imagine dark tendrils, shadowy hands, reaching up from the dangerous depths to grab at his feet, and he thrashed his legs about, trying to keep afloat. He could swim, but in this instant, he completely forgot how. But he did remember another thing he had almost forgotten – the feeling of pure terror. It had been so long since he last felt true fear that he didn't know how to react. His blood was filled with adrenaline, but he didn't know how to use it. The sirens were gone, and he could feel himself drowning.

 _I can't breathe_. The thought floated through his mind, pure and simple, a logical thread of thought in his chaotic mind. He latched onto the thread, knowing that he had to breathe – if not, he would suffocate, and if he did he would lose consciousness. There was no telling what would happen to him if he lost consciousness. He had to breathe. But just as he thought that, something so cold that it burnt covered his mouth, and he flailed around, trying to break free of whatever the thing was. He thought he heard three women laughing.

Where was Oliver? His struggles were slowing. The lack of oxygen, the water in his lungs, the weight of the sea, they were all beginning to take their toll. He felt his eyes gradually begin to close, and he fought to keep them open, but a gentle hand passed over his eyes and lowered his eyelids. Against his will, he felt his consciousness slipping away, like drops of water trickling through cupped palms. Whatever was blocking his mouth was removed.

But by then he couldn't breathe. He had forgotten how. Instead of sinking, it felt like his body was floating, floating through thin air. Slender hands grasped at his clothing, at his bare skin, sharp fingernails grazing against him. He barely registered that, his mind slowing down and whispering to him to stop, to just let go, to fall into a deep slumber. He didn't want to obey, but he knew he had to. There was something just so inviting about letting go, and floating away across the sea…hadn't he done that once before? He had given up…

His mind slipped away into nothingness, his limbs falling limp into the waters. The three sirens, who were supporting his body, glanced at Oliver, who watched from the boat. "And what do we do now?" the sirens asked, their voices mingling to form one. Oliver cocked his head, his golden eye never leaving Len. There was a frown on his face, a frown of deep thought.

"Leave him be," he finally answered. "He'll eventually come around. But let him awaken of his own accord – the power of the ocean is something that he needs to remember."

* * *

His eyes flew open and he gasped, his lungs aching for air. Piercing bright sunlight shone straight into his eyes, and his hand instinctively reached up to shield his face from the sun. He squinted, looking around at his surroundings – the first thing he realised was that he was lying on a field of grass under a vivid blue sky, white clouds dotting the vast expanse of cerulean. Wherever this place was, he didn't think that it was in Neverland. It was much too bright.

He slowly sat up, eyes still narrowed against the light. Carefully, he held out his arms and legs, inspecting himself – he was perfectly fine. There was no sign of any injury, and to his surprise, his clothes were completely dry. In fact, he was dressed in an entirely different outfit now – he was in a black tee and ripped jeans, a denim jacket flung casually across his shoulders. He was also wearing a pair of dark grey sneakers which he was absolutely certain he did not own. He frowned at himself, wondering why he was dressed in such clothing.

His hair was tied up as usual, and he self-consciously ran his fingers through his hair – the blond locks were completely dry. In fact, he might be led to think that the entire drowning episode was just some hallucination – but he knew he travelled out to sea with Oliver, and he knew that the waves had knocked him out of the boat into the ocean. He remembered all that with vivid, chilling clarity. Yet he wasn't anywhere near the ocean now. There was rippling green grass as far as the eye could see. The place was calm, peaceful and tranquil.

Where was he? It seemed like a place on Earth rather than in Neverland, but there was no way he could be on Earth. He couldn't possibly have flown while he was unconscious. And there was still the matter of whose clothes these belonged to, since they definitely weren't his. "Oh, Len," a vaguely familiar voice giggled, and he turned towards the voice, narrowing his eyes. He saw someone standing some distance away, with long teal hair and bright green eyes, and he blinked – wasn't that Miku? What was she doing in this place with him?

And somehow, she looked…different. He couldn't explain why – she still had long teal hair and large emerald eyes, but this Miku didn't look undernourished. She looked happy and healthy, the smile on her face charmingly bold. She was confident and assured, not at all anything like her usual self. She was dressed in a white blouse and light grey skirt – it looked like a school uniform. In her hand, she carried a small bag. "I was searching for you! Should have known you would decide to miss school again today," she giggled, skipping over towards him.

Now he was genuinely confused. For one thing, he hadn't been to school in six centuries. He had _never_ been to school, actually. And why was Miku talking to him this way? It just wasn't like her. They had never before reached this level of familiarity. But he found he couldn't say anything. It was as though he had forgotten how to speak. The girl reached him and settled down in the grass beside him, staring up at the sky. The smile on her face never changed. "It's a lovely day out, isn't it?" she chirruped. "I bumped into Rin on the way here, you know. She said she's been looking for you all morning, but you refused to switch your mobile on!"

Len abruptly realised this was probably a dream. Some kind of bizarre, fantastical dream. Or a hallucination. Or maybe he was dead, and this was his twisted version of the afterlife – a life on Earth, something he could barely even remember. He really hoped he wasn't dead. "Uh, well…" he found his voice was working perfectly fine, but he still didn't know what to say. Miku looked at him expectantly. "I lost it," he finally answered – if he was really stuck in a dream, then he might as well go with the flow and see how things went. Miku just shook her head in mock annoyance. Her bright green eyes were filled with so much life and joy – it was the complete opposite of what she was usually like. Len couldn't help but think that she was stunning. She had always been pretty, but this way…she was like a blossoming flower.

"What's new?" she sighed, rolling her eyes playfully at him. "That's why I got you this, don't you remember?" she reached over to him, her fingers going towards his throat. He tensed, anticipating something bad would happen, though he wasn't sure what – but all Miku did was grab hold of a chain around his neck, pulling the necklace out from beneath his shirt. He blinked – he hadn't even realised he was wearing a chain of any sort when he first woke up. "There, I placed my photo in there so you'll never forget about me. Don't forget that I'm always watching you!" she pressed a button on the locket and the cover popped open, revealing a picture of Miku winking at him. Len felt his cheeks warm. What was their relationship in this dream?

She definitely didn't seem like just any old friend. This dream was becoming really bizarre. He couldn't wait to wake up, though he would miss the Miku here. She was so different, so… _approachable_. The real Miku was pale in comparison – it was as though this was the actual Hatsune Miku, and the one he knew was nothing but a poor imitation of her. But he knew that wasn't the case, and he shouldn't be listening to his dreams. He realised another thing dream Miku had said though – she mentioned his twin sister's name. "You saw Rin?"

His voice came out more urgently than he wanted it to. Miku looked at him curiously, but nodded, the sunlight glinting off her long teal hair. "Where?" he tried to rein in his obvious excitement, and Miku gave him another strange look. "I mean…I have to pass something to her," he added lamely, not wanting the girl to be suspicious of him. Perhaps there was another Len existing inside this dream world, and he was behaving nothing like that Len.

"You've never particularly cared about Rin!" Miku chided, and even the way she scolded him was rather endearing. She sounded like a puppy trying to bark as viciously as it could. "Much less pass anything to her, unless it's your household chores. I'm not going to let you know where she is now – you might be my boyfriend, Kagamine Len, but Rin is still my best friend!" she laughed.

He blinked. Boyfriend? He was her boyfriend? Now that was strange. He tried to match the words she just said to the real Miku he knew, and had to suppress a snort – no, this was the most outlandish dream he'd ever had. Miku couldn't possibly have ever had a boyfriend, not when she was locked up in her house by her mother all the time. And now she was stuck in Neverland, the chances of that were even lower. After all, the only boys she ever came into regular contact with were him and the Lost Boys, and he doubted she'd want a relationship with any of them. They all treated each other like family, and that just wouldn't feel right.

Nevertheless, he reminded himself to go along with the flow. "Please?" he wheedled, and when Miku pouted, refusing to answer, he suddenly leant up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Her face turned red, and he smirked – he didn't live all these years for nothing. He wasn't actually her boyfriend, but he certainly knew how to charm girls if he needed to. Miku glared at him, but her cheeks were tinted pink, and that took the edge off her look of annoyance.

"Fine, you pest," she flicked his forehead, and he winced. That stung. "Come on, let's get out of here first! Before Rei and Piko come looking for us," she giggled, getting up from the ground and holding out her hand towards him. Len instinctively reached out for her hand, but just as their fingertips were about to meet, he felt himself being yanked backwards by an unseen force, the scene before him blurring into nothingness. He shouted, trying to fight against the mysterious entity which had pulled him away, but the force didn't let go, and moments later he was deposited onto solid ground again, his head spinning from the sudden change.

This time, he was in a cave. It looked more like Neverland now, but since he was still dry, he guessed he was still dreaming. His clothes had changed once more, becoming an outfit that he remembered wearing before in Neverland. Things were back to normal, then – or at least as normal as they could ever be, given that he was dreaming. The cave was bare and empty save for a large, standing mirror at the other end of the cave. The mirror was oval in shape and framed with glided gold, runic inscriptions carved into the precious metal. Len figured that he was supposed to approach the mirror since there was nothing else for him to do here, and he could see no visible exit from the cave. He was trapped by four walls of solid rock.

He could see his reflection becoming bigger and bigger as he approached the oval mirror. He looked at himself – his blue eyes were haunted, dark eye circles prominent against his sharp cheekbones. He looked tired and hungry, and he looked like death. His hair was undone this time, the tips of his hair almost touching his collarbones. He reached out to the glass, his fingertips just barely brushing against the cool surface, and saw his reflection doing the same. He pressed his fingers against the smooth glass, and once more his actions were mirrored. He stared into his reflection's eyes, twin pools of dark blue piercing through each other.

Len opened his mouth, baring his teeth. His image did the same thing – but then, to his utter shock, his reflection _spoke_. "Who are you?" it asked, its lips moving to form a question that Len himself had never said. Len recoiled, his fingers leaving the surface at once – but the Len in the mirror remained there, fingertips pressed to the other side of the glass. The reflection slowly lowered the rest of its palm towards the mirror. "Who are you?" it repeated.

"I am Kagamine Len. Peter Pan of Neverland," he answered, heart thudding in his chest. For all the strange things he had ever seen during his long, long existence, this was the first time he had seen a sentient reflection. And out of all people it could have belonged to, it was his. The reflection frowned at that response, shaking its head vehemently, and Len narrowed his eyes. "You have no right to deny that. You asked me a question, and I simply answered it," he added sharply.

"No, you can't be Kagamine Len," familiar suspicion shone through those dark blue eyes – familiar, because how many times had he seen himself with that same look on his face? "Because _I_ am Kagamine Len. You may look exactly like me," his reflection continued, "but there is no way you can be him. For _I_ am him. Reveal the truth – who are you, stranger?"

"I _am_ telling the truth!" he exclaimed, part of him frustrated, the other half of him simply amazed by the fact that he was having such a mind-boggling, unbelievable conversation. He was talking to himself in the mirror, and his reflection was responding as though it truly was a separate being from him. "Clearly one of us is not the original then, and in this case it must be you. After all, you are the one who is existing within a mirror," he pointed out.

Mirror Len gave him a condescending look of irritation. "What are you talking about?" the reflection asked snidely, something almost like contempt in its voice. " _You_ are the one who exists in a mirror. From here, I'm standing in a cave which will lead out to the main cavern in our underground den. This mirror appeared from out of nowhere in my room, and I was simply investigating this mysterious occurrence when _you_ appeared, a reflection who does not truly follow. If you don't answer me, I'll smash this mirror and ensure that you disappear forever," he threatened.

Len glared, tempted to spit threats and warnings at his reflection. It was being ridiculous. How could it be the real Len when it was obviously stuck inside a mirror? He certainly wasn't trapped by glass – he moved his arms around, beyond the range of the mirror, and was satisfied to see that his body wasn't confined to the narrow shape of the glass. "Now you're not making sense," he retorted. "I am in no way trapped inside a mirror. If you don't believe me, then go ahead – smash the glass, and we'll see whether or not I'm the real Len."

The reflection narrowed its eyes. "Then don't say that I didn't warn you," it threatened. Raising its fist, it waited for a few seconds before bringing its fist down, and Len waited in nervous anticipation for the fist to collide with the glass – but right before the reflected hand and the mirror could meet, the image began to distort itself. Len took a step back, scowling at the image – the reflected Len was twisting itself around into an unrecognisable blur of colour, and right before his very eyes the image reformed into another person.

This other person was shorter than him, a long cloak covering their body. The hood of the cloak was up, hiding the person's face from view. He saw the dark grey cloak and abruptly realised the person's identity – the mysterious girl who saved Miku from the will-o'-the-wisps, but at the same time also threw her into unfathomable danger. He remembered that she had shown up in his dreams before, in the one where he was losing against the hydra. It seemed like this girl's appearance was an ill omen, since nothing good ever came out of meeting her. "It's you!" he breathed, glaring at her – he wasn't sure what felt more frustrating, the Len in the mirror denying it was a reflection, or this girl popping up in his dreams again. Couldn't she just leave him alone? Why did his mind keep conjuring her up?

"It's me," the girl agreed, and he could imagine her smirking underneath that hood. He had no idea what she looked like, and he didn't know if he wanted to find out. "Why, aren't you pleased to see me, Len? My presence confirms your suspicions that you're dreaming, after all – as you know, I've never appeared to you outside of your dreams before. And isn't it better to know that you're dreaming rather than dead?" she mused. "Especially given the ordeal you just went through, out in the ocean. It must be harrowing for such a weakling."

"I am _not_ a weakling," Len automatically defended himself, almost spitting at her. The girl just took a step back from the mirror, a high-pitched giggle ringing out through his cave. It sounded mocking. "How did you know what I went through in the ocean?" he demanded. Since she was here, then he might as well get some answers out of her. After all, it wasn't like the previous time, where a giant hydra was toying around with him. Right now, he could afford to ask some questions and get his answers…if she even replied his queries to begin with.

"Of course I know what you just went through in the ocean," the girl responded scathingly, something almost like boredom dripping from her words. "How could I not know? I know everything that is going on in Neverland, Peter Pan. Nothing happens here which escapes my vision. I am all-seeing and all-knowing – there is no secret Neverland possesses which I do not know of," she continued, pride seeping into her voice. No, it was more than pride – there was arrogance in her words. He hoped the day would come where she would have to swallow her pride and admit her inferiority to another being. That would serve her right.

"Who are you, then?" he changed the topic, determined to find out at least one thing about this mysterious girl. The girl tilted her head, as though considering answering his question. While she paused, rocking back and forth on her feet, Len glanced around the cave he was in once more, searching for some kind of exit. There was nothing the four walls could offer him, but when he looked up at the ceiling, he saw that there was a square outline cut into the rock, and it made him wonder if it was a trapdoor of some sort. Perhaps it would lead him out of this place, since there didn't appear to be any other doorway.

"Who am I, Kagamine Len? That's a very good question," the mocking tone had disappeared from the girl's voice, and now she just sounded pensive. "Would you believe me if I told you that I _am_ you?" she asked, and Len stared at her, his brow furrowing. She was definitely just messing around with his head now. How could she possibly be him when he was male, and her voice was a dead giveaway that she was female? "Oh, I know what you're thinking," she suddenly giggled, a sound which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. "You must be thinking, 'there's no way she's me. She's a girl, while I'm a guy. She must be lying to me'. But what makes you so sure that I'm a girl in the first place? Some boys have high-pitched voices as well, you know," she added wonderingly, a childish lilt to her voice. Len scowled at her.

"Don't you dare play your stupid mind games with me," he growled, taking a step forward towards the mirror. The girl didn't back away, instead giggling again, another loud giggle which sent a chill down his spine. It was the laughter of a child, but there was so much cruel knowledge behind the giggle that it just didn't sound right, coming out in her voice. "There's no way you're male. Reveal your true identity – if you want to mess around with me so badly, then do so while showing your true face!" he challenged, eyes narrowed.

The girl sighed, an audible exhale. "Oh, Kagamine Len. If only you were prepared for all the things coming your way," she sighed again, shaking her head in what seemed almost like disappointment. It was difficult to tell, since he couldn't see her face or her expressions.

He wanted to hit her. That said something, since he would never hit a girl. For all his age and experience, that was one thing that never changed about him – he would not hit a woman, not even Tiger Lily, although she was undeniably one of the most frustrating women he had ever seen. He generally only lashed out if they physically attacked him first, and even then he would try to find another way to salvage the situation – he just didn't think he ought to lay a hand on a girl. This particular girl, however, was pushing it. And if it wasn't for the mirror which separated them, he probably would have reached out to throttle her by now.

She must have somehow managed to sense his animosity through the glass, for she giggled once more, another knowing sound that pierced through his ears, threatening to make his eardrums bleed. "Oh, such hostility will be bad for you, you know," she told him gleefully. "You may have eternal youth, but even the young can grow wrinkles if they scowl so much! You wouldn't want to ruin your looks now, would you? A little hard to charm gullible young children if you aren't a handsome angel, sent to them from the heavens," she mocked him.

"I don't need your advice for that," he told her coldly, shutting down her malicious teasing. "I just need you to answer my question. Who are you? And don't even think about evading the question again this time," he added, his fingers clenching into fists by his sides. He was so close to finding out an answer, _some_ form of the truth – maybe he was coming across as desperate, since she kept stringing him along, avoiding the question as much as she could.

"And what would you do if I chose not to answer?" she retorted, sounding bored again. It was a frustrating contrast between the two of them – her, with her languid drawl, and him, with his pent-up frustration, his burning desire to figure out some part of the mystery which surrounded him and his Lost Children. They were stuck in the middle of a jigsaw puzzle, and they didn't have all the pieces required to solve it. With this hooded girl's answer, if she revealed her identity to him, then maybe they would be one step closer to answering this riddle. Everything was connected to Miku and the _kararehe_. This girl, the sirens, the hydra, the upcoming Hunt with the Blood Moon – everything was all connected. He had to get to the bottom of everything.

"I'll wake up from my dream," he answered simply, "and you won't be able to toy with my mind anymore." The girl paused at that response, and he thought he could feel her gaze shift towards him, boring a hole right _through_ him. The intensity of her gaze was such that it felt like a physical shove. It took everything he had not to take a step back – he had already come so close to the mirror that he was right up against the glass, and he would not back down from his pursuit of the truth. "Why, does that frighten you?" he smiled thinly.

"Oh, it doesn't. I'd be very glad if you could wake up from your dream, actually," the girl's voice had suddenly become serious, sombre even. He frowned, but before he could open his mouth and say something – he didn't know what he would have said, maybe a retort or another threat or _something_ , anything – the girl reached up to her hood, her pale slender fingers wrapping around the cloth, and she pulled. The hood slid down to reveal her face.

And he stared. He simply stared into the mirror, at the newly-exposed face of the girl, and for a while neither one of them said anything. All he could do was just continue staring, and he knew that even if he tried to speak then, no voice would be heard. He was in a state of complete, utter shock. The girl met his gaze, her lips curving up into a cold, unfamiliar smile.

* * *

Miku blinked, turning around. Listening closely, she shut her eyes and tried to focus on the wind. She swore that for a moment, she heard someone calling her name in the breeze, but then the longer she listened, the more she decided that she was simply imagining things.

She was waiting for Rei. Piko had told her about Rei's past, and hinted at why he was avoiding her now. Her heart bled for him. She didn't know what to say when Piko ended his tale – she just sat there, unable to believe her ears, unable to believe that anyone could have survived such an horrendous ordeal. She didn't want to think that it was true, but there was no reason for Piko to lie to her about Rei's history – and some part of her just knew that it wasn't a lie. She didn't know how she was so sure, but it just…seemed like it was this way.

After concluding his story, Piko told her that he wanted to take a walk through the forest to clear his troubled mind, and with that he disappeared down the path. He had not extended an invitation to her to join him, nor did she ask – her mind was awhirl with questions and sheer confusion. It wasn't just the narration of Rei's past which got to her this way – Piko had also said something vague about wolves longing for human flesh. She really hoped that this was not what she thought it was, because if that was the truth…what was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to react, and how would she interact with Rei from now on?

Rei and Gumo were still not yet back from the forest. Len was not inside their room either. She was alone in the main cavern, and the only Lost Boy whose rough whereabouts were unknown to her was Nero. Speaking of Nero, she hadn't really had a proper conversation with him in a while – not that the two of them typically had friendly chats in the first place, but upon this realisation she felt a little strange. Nero would hardly say more than two or three words to her whenever they bumped into each other, and after that he would quickly leave, as though he was avoiding her. She wasn't sure if she enjoyed this newfound silence or not.

On one hand, it was very nice to not have to deal with Nero's acidic tongue. On the other hand, she couldn't deny that it was just outright strange to have Nero being so quiet. She was used to his callous remarks and his offhanded comments on how terrible she was as a fighter, or as a general human being. The last proper interaction they had was…before she went to visit the Red Indians, actually. If that could even be considered an interaction at all. It mostly just consisted of him yelling at the other Lost Boys that letting her go with Len was a suicide mission. The last thing she recalled from that episode was Nero storming into his room with such violence that he broke off one of the vines hanging over his cave entrance.

Tensions must be running high, if Gumo and Nero were fighting now…she shuddered, still able to remember the two boys shifting into their animal forms, the roars of rage and fury echoing between the two predatory beasts. Nero especially was lithe and nimble, and every movement he made sparked with tension and eagerness – even in his animal form, you could see how ready the Lost Boy was for a fight. But she also knew that he was more than just bitterness and anger – Nero had been there to help comfort her after she was kissed by Oliver. For once, he had not said a single thing, him and Gumo just sitting there next to her.

Shaking her head, she stretched, feeling her muscles pop a little as she reached up towards the ceiling. She ought to get some sleep, but after everything that happened, she wasn't tired anymore. The more time she spent in Neverland, the less sleep she seemed to require. If she thought about it, that didn't sound healthy, but she wasn't feeling any adverse effects from the lack of sleep. That explained why Len was able to function despite how little rest he was getting – though his mood did suffer whenever he got too tired. Anyway, even if she wanted to sleep, she didn't think she could, not when she felt so alone in the den.

Where were all the others? She was beginning to worry. Rei and Gumo were gone. Piko was somewhere deep in the forest, she hadn't seen Len since Oliver came to look for him, and Nero had been avoiding the den ever since his fight with Gumo. It was worrying because this was the first time the Lost Boys seemed so _separate_ from each other. No matter how much they disagreed, no matter how often they fought between themselves, they would always stick together in the end. She was used to seeing them all _together_ , a group of four boys who relied on themselves and one another – she wouldn't include Len since he was hardly ever around, but she had always seen the love and concern the boys shared. For she knew they loved each other, no matter how clichéd that might sound.

"Oh. It's you," she jumped at the familiar voice, turning towards the cavern exit. Nero stood there, two spears in his left hand, his right hand placed on his hip. His blond hair was messy, as if he had been running through the forest earlier, and his amethyst eyes were narrowed at her. Without another word, he walked into the cavern, heading towards his room. She continued watching him, wondering what he was doing, and instead of entering his room, he stopped right outside, taking down the poles that rested against the wall. He replaced the spear with one of the two he brought in with him, then he methodically took the skull off the other pole. Tossing the pole onto the ground, he threw the skull from hand to hand, studying it carefully. "Might be time to get another one…" she heard him mumbling to himself.

"Whose skull is that?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Nero glanced up at her question, something almost like surprise on his face – as though he had already forgotten about her presence in the cave. She had always been morbidly curious about that skull. She didn't want to imagine the death of another person, and the skull did look uncomfortably humanoid, but surely that couldn't be a real human skull…could it? She remembered Nero's removed gaze, the amethyst as cold and beautiful as crystal, and the angry bitterness that always seemed to linger in his every word, and suddenly she was doubtful. She knew so little about him.

Nero shrugged. "He used to be a Red Indian," he answered. She cringed. So it was a human skull after all. "But no, before you start thinking I'm a cold-blooded murderer, get the facts straight. He came into our territory decades ago, dying from madness and starvation. One of the refugees who escaped from being sacrificed to the ancestors. We were feeling generous that day, so we fed him and gave him water. But it was too late for him, so he told us to take his skull and use it as a ward against ill fortune. And he told me to leave it outside my room since apparently, I needed the most protection," he shrugged again. "If you believe in that kind of thing, I suppose. I just do it since it looks nice – shows off a bit of my personality, don't you agree?"

"You fed a dying man food and water?" she asked, surprised. That just didn't sound like something Nero would do. The blond boy raised an eyebrow, nodding. "That's a…very kind thing to do," she finished lamely, not sure how to wrap up her thoughts. Nero made a small sound of derision, but he didn't say anything else, returning his attention to the skull. She glanced at the skull as well, looking at it properly for the first time – before, she had always just avoided it since it unnerved her, but now she forced herself to stare. It was yellowed and cracked, the whole thing looking like it might crumble into dust at any moment. Maybe it _was_ due to be replaced, like Nero claimed. "How are you going to find a replacement?"

Nero shrugged a third time. "There are more refugees than you think out there in the forest. It's not that difficult to find a body, if you know where to look," he paused, and something dark flitted across his face – she couldn't identify the emotion, and it lasted for less than a second so she couldn't be sure what it was anyway. Then he was back to his usual unfeeling, uncaring self. "I just…don't know if finding any other body would have the same effect, since it's not the same person, and I didn't get permission this time…" he mused. Miku shook her head.

He was sounding much more ethical than she was used to him sounding. But then again, he never really talked about these kinds of things when he spoke to her. Most of the time, Nero just taunted her about her lack of skill or demonstrated something for her to see. He never said anything else. Next to Rei, Nero was the Lost Boy she knew the least about. "And since when did you care? You never bother to ask anyone whenever you take something. As long as you feel like you need it, you just snatch it with no care whatsoever for the other people you might affect through your actions," she pointed out, trying to make herself sound as neutral as possible.

"And what do you really know about me?" he countered, sounding remarkably calm. She was honestly quite surprised that he didn't lose his cool. She thought her accusatory words might have triggered his nasty temper, but he just continued looking down at the skull he held, turning it over and over in his hands. "You know nothing at all, Hatsune Miku. What you see, what you think you know, is nothing more than your one-sided observations and the stories you hear from the others. If you know nothing about me," he met her gaze, his amethyst eyes hard, "then it shouldn't hurt you to keep your mouth shut. Don't you agree?"

He placed the skull back on the other new spear, sliding it carefully down the sharp metal tip. She simply watched, not knowing what to say. He seemed… _different_ today. She could not place a finger on it. It wasn't like he had suddenly become peace-loving and friendly, like Gumo, nor had he become calm and knowing, like Piko. He was still harsh, bitter and almost cruel, the same way he always was, full of semi-veiled threats and arrogant taunts. He was still the prickliest person she had ever seen, practically impossible to communicate with. But it wasn't the same as how he usually spoke to her. He sounded rational now, more logical.

She vaguely recalled hearing from someone before, that Nero was the seasoned strategist in their group and that he was the best fighter, the one who knew how to spot and attack an enemy's weakness. Before, she had never really seen that from him. He was irritable and so hot-headed that she couldn't, for the life of her, imagine him ever coming up with some sort of strategy. He seemed like the kind of person who would just go out and attack without any thought or plan. But maybe that was the side of him she was seeing right now – that cold brutality being channelled into something that wasn't anger. Instead of immediately taking offence at her words, he took what she said and spit it back out at her, challenging her to continue. It reminded her of the time he heard her complaining about him as a teacher.

"Then why don't you tell me more about yourself?" she murmured, realising that maybe this was a chance to find out more – that instead of seeing Nero's harsh words as a threatening deterrent, maybe she should view them as a sign that there was _another_ Nero inside him – another Nero who was more than just misdirected anger and chaos. Nero, who had placed the skull and the new spear back against the wall, stiffened when he heard what she said. He turned to stare at her, his face expressionless, and she hoped she had not said the wrong thing.

"There's nothing for you to discover," he told her just as quietly. She studied him, and it felt like a tense stare-off between them. Neither one was willing to be the first person to look away. He had a gaze she would say was just as intense as her own. Maybe it was because the violet of his eyes reminded her of amethyst crystals, and crystals were hard, cold and beautifully impenetrable. "I suppose you want to get inside my head, try to figure out why I am the way I am. You want to know more about me the way you think you understand Piko and Gumo. But I suspect you have the wrong impression of me. I'm nothing like them, and no one ever wants to get close to me for a good reason. If you continue to try, Miku, you'll just get yourself hurt."

It was one of the rare few times he actually addressed her by name. He usually just called her Hatsune, or he didn't even bother to acknowledge her at all. "I won't ever know if I don't try," she finally replied, not knowing what else she could say. She didn't intend to back off now, not when Nero sounded so different, not when it actually seemed like she had a _chance_ to talk to him properly without wanting to scream her head off. Nero shook his head in disbelief, but there was a small smirk on his face, one of his eyebrows raised in a show of surprise.

"If you insist then. I was going to take a walk. It helps calm my nerves, and the darkness of the forest is a far better replacement for the darkness in my memories," he paused. "And I usually prefer to walk alone since most people irritate me, but if you are sure you want to find out more about Akita Nero then I will invite you along. I won't be making any allowances for you though, and if you get lost in the forest, there may not be anyone coming to rescue you. None of the others are in the den right now, so it'll just be the two of us. Are you still sure you want to come with me?" his violet eyes gleamed. They were so cold, they were beautiful.

"Lead the way," she rose from her log, standing firm and unwavering in front of Nero. His smirk just widened, but he said nothing else – turning, he beckoned to her to follow him, and the two of them went down the passageway towards the dark forest beyond.


	39. Chapter 39

He couldn't remember much. He knew that he had seen someone who resembled Miku in his dream…it was such an odd experience. He didn't think he'd ever dreamt something like that before. Len's eyelids fluttered as he groaned, struggling to return to wakefulness.

"Len. Len!" someone was calling him. The voice wasn't very familiar. He groaned again, a barely audible sound. He was aching all over – his muscles were sore; his very bones were sore. Did he die and come back to life? Ah, but the Lost Children and Peter Pan could never die…if they did, then what was the point of Neverland? Neverland couldn't exist without its Peter Pan, and so without him, the entire island would crumble. At least, that was what the people on Earth thought. Foolish, gullible people, trapped in an idyllic fantasy, a dream that was so beautiful it was cruel. Wasn't it nice, to be so unknowing, to be so…so _stupid_?

"Oi, Pan," a rough voice rang out, grating against his ears. Someone shook him hard, and his eyes flew open, his arms instinctively reaching up to shove the person away. He squinted as the orange lights shone into his eyes, flames flickering in the darkness. It was still night. He hadn't been unconscious for that long, then…he felt strange. Those dreams. What did they mean? He could hardly recall anything – just mere snippets of conversation, the giggle of a girl, or perhaps a child? He couldn't be sure. He dreamt of a girl with teal hair and green eyes, who seemed as normal as normal could be. A girl who resembled someone he knew.

And then he saw himself in a mirror. A Len who wasn't…Len. Who couldn't have been him. He had wanted to break that mirror, to prove that he was the real Len, that the one within the glass couldn't possibly be him – but then he hesitated, because suddenly he was seized by fear. For what if the reflected Len was telling the truth, and _he_ was the one who was the illusion? But he shook himself. That was a mere dream. And he was no longer dreaming.

"You almost drowned out there…" he shook his head again, his ears ringing. He could still recall the mournful singing of the sirens, the howling of banshees piercing through the sky. It was the stuff of nightmares. But that was nothing new, was it? Neverland by itself was a nightmare. "Please do not be so reckless, Pan. If you do not consider your own safety, then at least think of your Lost Children. What were you doing, following Oliver to somewhere so dangerous? As one leader speaking to another, I must admit that I'm…rather disappointed."

"Ah…Hook," Len finally placed a name to the voice, his gaze slanting towards the speaker. The pirate captain was standing over him, his First Mate crouched beside him with a frown on his face. Neither man looked particularly pleased about Len's presence on their ship. Len had come to the conclusion that he was on the ship – firstly, he could be nowhere else given that the pirate captain himself was here, and secondly, he could feel the surface beneath him moving ever so slightly, rocked by the gentle waves. His lungs felt like they were on fire.

"What were you thinking, Pan?" Gakupo exhaled, a sound of irritation. "I don't know what you are trying to prove, going after the sirens like that. Is this some rash act of bravado? Are you out to impress that girl who's now among your Lost Children? If you're attempting to kill yourself, please don't do so in our waters. We'd hate to be embroiled in any politics…" the First Mate quietened when Hook placed his hand on the man's shoulder, a quiet warning. The metal hook that took the place of his other hand glinted under the moonlight.

"Where is Oliver?" Len struggled to sit up, but he coughed when he moved, whatever water that still remained in his lungs finding its way past his lips. Everything burnt. He was completely soaked through, the salt in the water beginning to crystallise on his clothes. His blond hair was stiff. The two pirates exchanged a look at the sound of the pirate's name, but they said nothing, Gakupo still crouched beside Len. Len glanced around, realising that he was on the ship's deck. There was no other pirate around. He wondered where they were all hiding.

"Oliver is below decks," Hook finally answered. "He brought you back here to recuperate, saying that you encountered the sirens and got thrown into the waters…we were afraid that we might have lost you. You were unconscious for a long time," the captain paused. "What makes me curious, however, is why you agreed to put yourself in danger just to see the sirens. Surely it cannot be out of mere fascination – you have lived long enough to know that in this place, knowledge is a dangerous weapon that could harm you just as easily as it could help you. And I do not imagine you would leave your Lost Children without a leader."

Len narrowed his eyes. He could still feel some water trickling down his forehead, but he ignored it. The wetness, the drops of water that slid uncomfortably into his eyes, it was all proof that he was still alive, that he had once again avoided the gaping maws of the ocean. He had to wonder how much longer his luck would last. He had lived for six centuries – and it was just a matter of time before his good fortune ran out, and maybe one day…maybe a day would come when they realised that the Lost Children and their leader were not truly immortal. Death was equal, and death was inevitable. The Lost Valley of Souls represented that in the most ghoulish way. In death, all of them were the same…perhaps even them.

"I have something which I must settle with the sirens. And the hydra that dwells deep within the waters," he replied, and Hook flinched at the mention of the giant sea serpent, exchanging yet another look with his First Mate. Gakupo looked grim. "It is all for my Lost Children. You speak of leadership, Hook – then surely you also understand that we must always look out for the welfare of our people. That's what I'm doing. Don't think to question my reasons."

"I did not intend to do that…" Hook murmured, shaking his head. There were torches lit up around the deck, flames kept caged within clear lamps, attached to every wooden mast. They seemed like a fire hazard, which would surely be dangerous out in the open sea, but Len felt no fear when he stared into the bright flames. Fire was a horrible way to die – he could well imagine the grey smoke floating through the air, entering the lungs, slowly suffocating the victim. But he would rather face fire than feel himself sinking into cold waters once again…

"Bring Oliver out here. I need to talk to him about something," he demanded. Hook and Gakupo seemed uncomfortable with his order, and he realised that he might have overstepped his welcome. He didn't want to admit it, but almost drowning sparked a feeling within him which he had almost forgotten. Fear. He was tense right now, and he didn't want anyone to see him this way – it felt as though another moment longer, and he might burst right out of his skin. "I apologise. You saved me, yet I'm being rude…I just really need to ask him a few questions."

Gakupo sighed. "Oliver…is occupied at the moment. There's a gambling game going on downstairs. The pirates needed a distraction, and Oliver increased his usual stakes – it's precisely what they require at the moment. I do not think now is a good time," the First Mate told him delicately.

Len's eyes further narrowed. "His gambling can wait," his voice came out harsher than he intended. He had to struggle to make it sounded slightly politer, painfully aware that he was not in his own territory. "This situation is of utmost importance. If he isn't willing to come to the deck, then I will simply have to find him myself…" he tried to get up from the wooden floor, but as he pushed himself up, he stumbled, head suddenly spinning. Hook had to catch his elbow to prevent him from falling, but Len instinctively shook his hand away, not wanting to admit that he was weak. He hated showing weakness in front of even himself, let alone other people.

"Oliver will not be pleased to be taken away from his gambling," Hook continued Gakupo's line of thought. Len was not sure, but the pirate captain sounded almost…afraid. Was Oliver really that threatening? He _did_ seem to be a little unhinged, but surely not to the extent that Hook himself would be wary of him? After all, Oliver was nothing but a pirate. Hook was the captain of the ship. No matter what Oliver knew about Neverland, no matter how special or different he was, he had to listen to Hook. That was just how things worked here…people listened to their leaders silently and unquestioningly, obeying everything without fail.

The Red Indians listened to Tiger Lily and the Panther, with traitors being cast out into the plains or the woods to die. Traitors were not worthy of sacrifice to the ancestors in the Lost Valley of Souls – that was an honour, a fate which was bestowed only upon those who were loyal to their last breath, the ones who were already dying. And for Len, any Lost Child who did not listen to him grew to fear him. Rei, Piko, Nero, Gumo…everything he did was solely for their sake. He always had their welfare in mind, no matter what he did, every action tailored for their well-being. Was he being too overbearing? Too paternalistic? But it was his duty to care…

And what of the pirates? Hook was a soft-hearted fool. Len had always known that. "Tell me what happened after I almost drowned," he finally changed the topic, uncertain how much he could push with regards to meeting Oliver now. Hook seemed relieved to be moving away from the touchy subject of the gambler pirate. But it did leave Len wondering why the captain himself seemed so nervous when it came to one of his subordinates. How had Len failed to notice this before? Or perhaps he had simply never been observant enough…which wasn't really a surprise, since anything that wasn't to do with his Lost Children did not interest him. He wouldn't even have cared if Oliver hadn't dragged Len into this mess.

"I don't know exactly what happened in the aftermath, only what Oliver has told us. He said that the sirens caught you out in the open waters, but after a while they left you alone, and he wasn't sure why himself. He got you back on his lifeboat and realised that you were still alive, so he rowed to the pirate ship and got us to take you up to deck. Gakupo and I have been waiting for you to awaken ever since. We were unsure if you would open your eyes."

The last line sounded grim. Len coughed again, a softer cough – his throat felt raspy, the salt burning through the tender flesh. "And that was all?" he checked. "Oliver said nothing else? Truly _nothing_ happened at all, besides what you recounted?" he had the nagging suspicion that there was more to it – there was always, _always_ more to it. He didn't think the sirens would have just left him alone when they seemed so insistent on…whatever it was they wanted to do with him. Show him his greatest nightmares, perhaps? He already went through that with them.

Drowning. His greatest fear. A fear he had never wanted to acknowledge, not even to himself. He could remember how to swim, but did his muscles still know how? "No, there was nothing else," Gakupo spoke up, vouching for his captain. "We would tell you if that was the case. You can trust us on that one – I, too, am quite interested to find out what business you have with the sirens and the sea hydra," he added, a warning in his words.

"I don't know," Len tried to take a step forward, but almost stumbled again in the process. He caught himself just in time, though. It would have been humiliating if Hook helped him with his balance once more. "Telling you my intentions would depend largely on how much I feel I can trust you, First Mate. And that is related to what your captain is willing to tell me," he turned his gaze upon Hook, who watched him impassively, those dark eyes almost black in the night. "You're not telling me everything, I'm aware. But I would also like to inform you that our goals are aligned. You want to rid the sea of the sirens and the hydra, no? What if I let you know that this might possibly be my intention as well?" he asked, his voice placid.

"And for what reason do you wish to involve yourself with the creatures of the ocean?" Hook raised an eyebrow, suspicion now evident in his words. "These have always been our personal problems. And it is indeed curious that someone from another territory is keen on wiping out these deadly monsters for us. One can't help but feel that there is a piece of the puzzle missing – that it might all end up being a trap of some kind, planned by the slyest, most manipulative puppeteer…you are experienced, Pan. I'm sure you understand me."

"There is no reason for you to suspect me," Len shrugged, his foggy mind having finally cleared up a little. "I gain no benefit from lying to you. And even if I plan to wipe out your entire crew through some nefarious, diabolical master plan, what advantage would that bring me?" he shrugged again, glancing out across the open waters. He could hear nothing, no sound besides the rustle of the night wind. The captain narrowed his dark eyes at him.

"We all know that the _kararehe_ are targeting your people when the full moon rises," Hook answered. "Getting rid of our crew would grant you more territory and a ship free to sail in the vast waters. The Red Indians and the pirates are all perfectly aware of your plight, so I hope you forgive us for being warier of you than usual," his voice hardened. "I would not put it past you to use sly words and trickery to get your way, Peter Pan. That is what you do, isn't it? You go to Earth and trick children into following you, honey dripping from every beguiling word, the sweetness masking the scent of rot and decay. You think I do not know that?"

Len flinched. He couldn't help it – even after all this time, he was not truly desensitised to the things that he did. But more importantly, how did Hook even know? His Lost Children themselves had no idea…they thought that he only brought back children once in a while, children who had nowhere to go just like themselves. He had never explained that he did it on a regular basis – though this reminded him that he actually hadn't been back to Earth in a while. Why were the dark masters not demanding more children…? Not that he minded their sudden silence.

"And how did you find out?" he finally asked. He wanted his answers, and just wondering how Hook knew about all this wasn't going to get him any closer to the truth. The captain closed his eyes, and a humourless smile flitted across his face. He looked almost resigned.

"You are Peter Pan, the one who brings young children to Neverland," he murmured. "What other role could you possibly play in this twisted fantasy? I sometimes wish that all this is nothing but a nightmare. Everything feels so surreal…why was I, of all people, born into a life where nothing ever changes, where people keep on suffering, unable to weaken or die?"

Suddenly it felt as though someone other than Hook was speaking through the captain. It just sounded like…something Oliver might say. Something he himself would say. He didn't know how he felt about someone else taking the words right out of his mouth. And if he showed any sign of agreement…no, he just couldn't. It would feel like he was admitting his weaknesses and flaws to someone he didn't know well enough. "You're thinking far too much about this," Len snapped, not knowing what else to say. "And don't make assumptions about me."

The captain shrugged. "Whatever you say, Peter Pan," he responded, his lips quirking up slightly. There was a moment of silence, and then Len suddenly felt vibrations through the wooden floor, the faint sounds of cheering and hollering underneath them. The captain and his First Mate looked down at the deck as Len stared at his feet, incredulous. "It seems like Oliver has just concluded his first game," Hook's words were faint. "If you really want to talk to him, then now would be a good time, before he enters the second round," he added. Len wasn't sure why, but when Hook said the pirate's name, there was something almost like fear in his voice – which just didn't make sense, for why should the captain fear one of his crew?

Gakupo didn't seem to react in any way to Oliver's name, so perhaps Len was overthinking things or simply mistaken, but he was very sure that Hook had _some_ kind of response whenever the gambler was brought up. He had noticed that earlier when he asked to speak to Oliver the first time. Once might have been a mistake on his part, but a second time noticing this difference surely meant something. Hook and Oliver clearly had some kind of history – and that reminded Len of what Oliver talked about, the other time he met him and Miku.

Hook's history. His mother being taken by the sirens. Someone pushing her off the side of the ship, and her being taken away, leaving the young child motherless. Hook, still living under the shadow of his mother's death…he wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt uneasy. "All right, please lead me below deck then," he requested, and the captain acquiesced. As Len followed Hook, he noticed that the man's shoulders were rigid, and he couldn't help but wonder – exactly what sort of relationship did Hook have with his subordinate, Oliver?

* * *

"Where are we going?" Miku asked, carefully threading her way through the undergrowth. So far, she had been doing a fairly decent job of keeping up with Nero, who was silent as he trekked through the forest. He was serious when he said that he wouldn't be making any allowances for her, and she had to struggle at times to keep up with his pace.

He glanced at her. It was mesmerising, how lovely Nero could look when he wasn't talking. There was a certain cold beauty he possessed that made him seem so untouchable, so far away and removed from them all. As though he was some kind of avenging god, striking everything down from the heavens…she found herself getting lost in her thoughts, and she shook her head, determined not to let her imagination run wild. "I mentioned earlier that I was looking for a replacement skull, wasn't I?" he asked, pushing aside an overhanging fern that was blocking his way. Miku looked at his hand – she sometimes forgot just how tall he was. Nero was the tallest Lost Boy, though Gumo wasn't that far behind in terms of height.

Gumo and Nero were obviously taller than Len and Rei, who were the same height as each other. Piko was the smallest Lost Boy, just a few inches taller than her, and he looked so thin and frail – but there was something in his dual coloured eyes that hinted at something much more formidable than what he let on. She knew better than to underestimate his peaceful smiles and careful gaze. Come to think of it, she wondered where he was right now. Was he also out among these trees, walking to clear his mind? How long would he spend alone in the forest?

"So…we're looking for a body now, then?" she cautiously verified. Nero nodded, and they fell silent again, neither one willing to say a single word to each other. Despite her intention of getting to know Nero better, she realised she still didn't know what to ask him, or what to even talk about. They had never needed to interact this way before, to discuss anything besides the kind of things a teacher would tell his pupil. She had little idea what to expect.

It was a path she couldn't remember taking before. Or maybe she had, and she forgot. She hadn't been here long enough to have explored the forest thoroughly, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to try either. Every time she went through the forest, it came to life, eager to devour her. She always knew that the trees were sinister, but nowadays they seemed to be less passive than usual – maybe because she knew that the night of the attack was coming, and the forest with its vast spread of flammable wood suddenly seemed more foe than ally. But had it ever been an ally in the first place? They wouldn't need to live underground if the forest had been more nurturing. The trees, the grass…they all carried wicked intentions.

"There's actually a place in our territory where we lay to rest the bodies of those who tried to seek shelter from us, but were turned away," Nero suddenly spoke, as though he tired of the awkward silence between them. Maybe he really was sick of the tension. Not that him talking would make things any better, when they both possessed this subconscious wariness of each other. "We always run into the dead when we go through the woods, on our nightly hunts. And we bring them here for their eternal rest – it's the last thing we can do for those who have passed on," he smiled. It was a thin smile. "I wonder what it feels like to die?"

"It must be a frightening experience, dying," she murmured, slightly taken aback by Nero's sudden question. "Especially if you're aware what is happening to you. We all die one day though, so I think that it's redundant to be afraid of death. No matter how terrified we are of what might happen, it's something all of us have to face eventually…" she lifted her gaze towards Nero, wondering what he would say in response. The blond boy looked pensive.

"Something all of us have to face, huh?" he echoed, not returning her look of curiosity. "I wonder about that. Do you think it's possible, to ever become immortal?" there was an almost tranquil quality to his voice, which was so strange given how aggressive he usually was, how hostile and direct his words could be. His voice sounded so distant, so far away, like it was floating across a great distance towards her. His words reminded her of Piko.

Didn't the craftsman mention it once before? The idea of immortality. Why were the Lost Boys so interested in the illusion of everlasting life? She wouldn't think it was something they desired, given the living hell they suffered through. Was Neverland really the kind of place one would want to exist in forever? _Or maybe they don't have a choice_ …she shook the thought away. That was ridiculous. There was no such thing as immortality. Was there?

"Is immortality something you're searching for?" she asked. Nero finally glanced at her then. His violet gaze felt as aloof as his voice, his eyes seeming not to look at her, but rather right through her. It was so different from how he was usually like – it made her suspect that he was possibly not in the right state of mind. Had all the pressure caused Nero to crack? Surely not. He had lived in Neverland for so many years; this amount of stress shouldn't mean anything to him.

"No, it's not. I wouldn't ever kill myself, that would be like admitting that I'm too weak to face my reality, but I wouldn't want to live here forever," his answer echoed her thoughts. "But then again, I also know what Neverland is like. I suspect it might be different for each and every one of us. What do you think? Would you wish for an everlasting eternity, if you could?"

She shook her head. "Be it in Neverland or on Earth, either place is too twisted for one to yearn for never-ending life," she explained, wondering how much further Nero intended to walk. She hoped he didn't want to carry on walking until the sun rose. All this activity was beginning to tire her – the forest was certainly not a kind place to travellers, and it felt like she would never be welcomed, no matter how long she stayed here. Nero and the other Lost Boys all never had any problems going through the undergrowth, and again, it made her feel so…different from them.

No, not just different. There was nothing wrong with simply being different. But she felt so very, very alone in her difference – like an outcast. Was she doomed to always feel like an outcast? "That's a good way to think," was all Nero said in response. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere. "Oh, we've arrived. Brace yourself, it's not a pretty sight…wait here for me," he turned to look at her, his expression unreadable, before he ducked through a gap between the trees and was swallowed up by the darkness beyond. She instinctively tried to follow him, but the warning halted her in her tracks. She should listen. That much she knew; every time she disobeyed, she ended up punished in one way or another. She was tired of suffering.

But she didn't have to wait long. She was counting the seconds as they passed, and less than two minutes later Nero returned, his blond hair barely visible in the dim moonlight. There was an oppressive atmosphere around them, now that she noticed – it was something she only paid attention to when she was left alone to her thoughts. She hated the darkness. It felt too much like the shadows which haunted her. The shadows which bound her to the pirate…the one thing she and Oliver had in common. Why them? Why her? She felt like she could almost _touch_ the depression lingering around them. It was tangible in a way that reminded her of her personal darkness – just like how the shadows were pure darkness made physical, the mournfulness in the air was pure grief and suffering. The dead turned over in their graves. "You're back," she kept her voice down.

"I had to make sure there was nothing too creepy in there," Nero shrugged, not elaborating on what he meant. "Follow me. You did a decent job keeping up so far, but this is where it gets harder. We're stepping off the beaten track, so you'll _really_ need to push if you want to make it through the trees," he cautioned. His amethyst eyes met hers, unblinking – she was suddenly reminded of his feline counterpart, the tiger she saw brawling with Gumo a mere day ago – she shuddered, part of her still reluctant to believe what she had seen, despite having witnessed it all with her own two eyes. "If you think that I intend to lead you into a trap, then you can rest easy. I would have gotten rid of you ages ago if I really wanted to," he added, almost as though he could read her mind. Then again, Miku didn't think she ever really hid how she felt about Nero. She nodded in acknowledgement, following the boy into the dark undergrowth. She swore that the temperature around her dropped a few degrees.

The path they followed was so shallow, it was barely even visible, nothing more than two slightly raised ridges of dirt. She could hardly see a thing, only able to tell where they were headed by keeping her gaze fixed on Nero's blond hair. His hair was golden just like Len's, a bright shining gold that reminded her of the sun…perhaps it was even brighter than the sun, since Neverland's sun was so weak. Though Nero's hair was just a shade darker than Len's.

It seemed to fit. Len was the bright one, the one who she knew would never do anything to hurt her. He had proved time and time again during their journey to the Red Indian camp that he would never leave her behind. She trusted him almost blindly. It felt strange to possess such strong belief in someone, and she never imagined that she would ever be able to trust a person as much as she trusted Len. She didn't even know she was _capable_ of believing so strongly. She couldn't even trust herself.

But Nero was different. Nero was unpredictable. Nero was rough and uncaring, his voice filled with sharp bitterness which seemed to weigh him down – though that weight didn't prevent him from dragging down everyone else around him with the same harshness. She couldn't deny that she was curious about his past, about what had happened to him to make him turn out this way. All the Lost Boys had a story, a reason why they abandoned their lives on Earth and left with Len to Neverland. What was Nero's story? He had never once breathed a word of it.

"I was raised in an orphanage," his voice rang out. She jumped, heart thudding wildly in her chest. Was it mere coincidence, or could he truly read her mind? "I never met my birth parents, and Len brought me here before I could be adopted. I never lived a life outside of the building where I was abandoned. My entire life, I was raised different – I looked nothing like the children surrounding me. My blond hair made me a freak, you know. I never once felt like I belonged," Nero's tone of voice was casual, yet this topic was anything but casual.

"Well, I never knew what it felt like to belong either," she admitted, interested to discover that the two of them actually shared some similarities. "Being outcast…being raised in an orphanage…my mother raised me, but she never felt like a mother," she sighed, trudging through the forest as she spoke. Nero didn't answer, and she continued, the words almost tumbling out of her mouth. Why did she suddenly talk about this so readily, a secret which she had kept hidden from everyone else for so many years? "She preferred to spend time with children who weren't hers. And all my life I wondered why I was so _different_ , why I couldn't just be a normal child – if I were normal, would my mother still be here? Would she love me the way she loved all the other children? Was it my fault for being born in the first place?"

"No, it's not your fault," Nero's voice was so quiet that it was barely more than a whisper. "It's never our faults for being born. It's not something any baby asked for. We were the ones unfortunate enough to be brought into this world, so the adults have the responsibility to look after the consequences of their actions. The child itself should never be made to feel inferior. Because when a child believes that it's good for nothing, then you end up with situations like these," Nero suddenly stopped right in front of her, parting two ferns before them. He beckoned to her with his other hand, indicating that she should come take a look. His face was impassive.

She did as he said, a sudden pit of dread cracking open inside her stomach. It made her feel uneasy. The oppressive atmosphere she had sensed from earlier returned with a vengeance. She had no idea what was in store for her, but when her eyes adjusted to the darkness beyond, she felt her throat close automatically, her eyes burning as she struggled not to gag. The bleached white skulls, the bones sticking up through black dirt, bits of grey flesh hanging from what used to be a ribcage. Hair in chunks all over the forest ground, mingling with rotten leaves and blind white maggots. Worms crawling between smiling teeth and empty eye sockets.

The smell, the foul, sickly sweet stench of death and decay. How had she not smelled it earlier? The rotten stink seemed like it was trapped within this clearing, hidden by the trees and the ferns. But the odour wasn't the worst part. She could see the size of the bones, the size of the skulls, the teeth, the fingers. She could see, and from there she could make guesses. The hot tears trickled down her face, unwanted and unstoppable. Nero just watched, not saying a single word, his eyes hard.

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't think Nero mentioned this at all when he talked about finding a dead body. But she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that all these bleached white bones with bits of rotting flesh hanging from them…these skeletons had all once been living children.


End file.
